Articles of Opinion - Editorials by the Ambassador

The Development of a Democracy

(unofficial English translation – this piece originally ran in Spanish in El Nuevo Diario November 4, 2008)

By: Robert J. Callahan

When the polls opened for the first American presidential election in December of 1788 and closed a month later, about 39,000  property-owning free white men, the only ones eligible to vote, had cast ballots.  They elected overwhelmingly George Washington. 

A century later, almost 11.5 million American males, the vast majority white, voted, most for Benjamin Harrison, the grandson of the country’s ninth chief executive.  Although skin tone could no longer legally be used to deprive a man of his vote, in practice very few people of color went to the polls in 1888. 

Today, about 125 million Americans – of both genders and every color -- will vote and, no matter which party emerges victorious, America will have either a black as president or a woman as vice president. 

Over these 220 years, the American democracy, as reflected in our electoral system, has grown ever-more inclusive.  It has matured and expanded, creating institutions that are now the bedrock of our political system.  Despite a catastrophic civil war, numerous economic reversals, massive territorial expansion, and the assimilation of millions of immigrants over two centuries, the United States has never failed to hold a presidential election as scheduled or deposed a sitting president through legislative or military means, although Richard Nixon decided to resign while under the threat of imminent impeachment.

Much of this stability can be attributed to our Constitution, which has proven resilient and flexible.  Following the collective passage in 1791 of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the “Bill of Rights,” we have amended the Constitution only 17 times in almost 200 years.  Of these, fully 12, or nearly three quarters, have been enacted to clarify presidential and Congressional election rules or enlarge the franchise to include racial minorities, women, and youth. 

Among the most important of these amendments are the 14th and 15th , which ensured that all males over 21 enjoyed the right to vote, regardless of race, property ownership or other qualifications, and the 19th , which gave women the right to vote.  The 26th   Amendment also expanded the franchise, lowering the minimum voting age to 18. 

There are plenty of opportunities to exercise this right, with elections of some kind every year in the United States.  Voters regularly go to the polls to decide on a variety of referendums and initiatives, to recall elected officials, or to cast a ballot in city, county, and state elections.  Every two years Americans must select each member of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. 

In all of these contests, America’s vibrant civil society is at work.  Millions of people donate money, volunteer to serve in campaigns, walk door to door to advocate for their candidate or causes, serve as election judges or poll watchers.  Bloggers fill the internet with their views. Commentators on television and radio offer their opinions.  Newspapers and electronic media cover the campaigns and often express their preferences in the editorial sections of the paper or program. 

Racial and ethnic groups, chambers of commerce and labor unions, regional interests and professional associations, farmers and retirees, environmentalists and religious congregations all make their feelings felt through meetings, rallies, advertisements, and flyers. 

Many thousands of foreigners, from journalists to elected officials, joined by hundreds of thousands of Americans, will be on hand to witness personally today’s election.  Although each state, even each voting district, can establish its own rules, so long as these rules do not conflict with constitutional guarantees, any person, irrespective of nationality or political affiliation, can observe polling stations.  It requires little in the way of coordination or approval from officials. 

We Americans are proud of the way we conduct elections and welcome the presence of all those who share our love of democracy.  It adds legitimacy and credibility to the process.

Is it a perfect system?  No, far from it.  But it has endured and expanded and come to embrace all Americans, regardless of race, creed, or gender, since that handful of property-owning free white men went to the polls to cast their ballot for George Washington 220 years ago.

Today, on election day, we Americans will likely turn out in record numbers to exercise our right to vote and ratify our belief in democracy.  As I gather tonight with hundreds of Nicaraguans and Americans to watch the returns, we will celebrate this tumultuous, free-wheeling, and chaotic experiment in freedom and self-government, this exhilarating expression of the people’s will.  And we will hope that, in the near future, everyone everywhere will have the same opportunity.  It is a fundamental human right, their right, and the best guarantee of their personal liberties.

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