By Cecilia T.

A reason that democracy is threatened in the United States is in some schools kids aren’t getting taught enough about democracy, American history, government, and civics. If students aren’t being taught, they won’t understand democracy and could believe lies. According to the National Education Association, one of the reasons our nation's leaders created a public education system is to teach youth about the idea of self-government. The largest teachers' union found that 90% of children get taught about government and civics but many students don’t get experienced-based learning such as guided debates, community service, critical discussion of current events, and simulations of democratic processes. This application of learning is important so students will be ready to be productive citizens and able to uphold democratic ideals when they turn 18. It’s important for children to learn about government so they know how our government works and they, the future voters and office holders, are critical to democracy working properly. Lastly, in addition to civics, students need to learn about American history so they know how this country was created and what we value. 

By Greta  J.

Another reason that democracy is threatened in the United States is because of people losing faith in the Supreme Court. Some people think that the court is too one-sided and has become political instead of enforcing the Constitution, which is the basis of all laws in America. According to a Judicature, a publication of Duke University's Law School, 53% of people in the U.S. are losing faith in the Supreme Court. The study found that 50% of people think the justices are more like politicians and not putting politics aside.  Some people think the court has too much power, and others think the legislative branch should be able to overrule what the court decides. Some people think the court should have less independence. Raymond J. Lohier in the Judicature article said, "And part of the problem is that when you have that loss of confidence in the court system, people resort to other means to resolve those matters." This is a threat to democracy.

By Julian L.

Another reason that democracy is threatened in the United States is because of voter suppression. Voter suppression has been a problem throughout our country's history but Amendments to the Constitution were put in place to ensure voting access for all people no matter their gender, class, age, ability, or race. Modern-day voter suppression usually takes the form of strict voting identification laws. Many Americans do not the forms of identification that some states require for voting. These voters are disproportionately low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities, according to the ACLU.  The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, found that 70.9% of white people successfully voted and cast ballots in the 2020 election, compared to 58.4% of non-white people. This means that many people didn’t have a say in how their government was run. This is a threat to democracy because it means there are less people voting, meaning less representation in government. To change this, we need to ensure that all people who are eligible to vote can vote.  After all, the Constitution does say, “To vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State…”

By Devon P. 

Another reason that democracy is threatened in the United States is because of mistrust in our fair and free election process. The 2020 presidential election in the United States caused some American citizens to mistrust the election process. Donald Trump said that the election was fraud even though it wasn't and has been proven over and over again through vote recounts and court cases. Trump tried to get people to believe mail-in ballots were fraudulent, according to NPR. In 2020 because of covid, more US citizens had to vote by mail than in the last election. Because of Trump's lies and purposeful misinformation on some TV networks, research shows that people had slightly less confidence that votes cast by mail would be counted accurately. This could have affected whether they voted. According to a Gallup poll, confidence in elections is divided by party lines. In a 2022 survey, 40% of Republican votes were very or somewhat confident in the 2020 election whereas 85% of Democrats felt confident in the 2020 election process. If Americans stop trusting or believing in the presidential election, they will stop voting. This will threaten democracy because the government officials will not get to know what people believe and want. Everyone should vote because US citizens need elected officials who do what's right for the country.