America is one
of the few countries where all people are created equal, have equal freedom,
and have equal rights. Americans believe that they live in the best country in
the world. Which is why it is not uncommon for many people to move to America to be an
American and live the “American dream”. But one culture that does not believe
America is doing a successful job running their country is the Chinese. China
has an authoritarian government system and believes that is better than the
American democratic system. However, if China took a closer look at the benefits of the
democratic system, especially the Electoral College they would see why
Americans believe it is the best way to run a country.
As
Americans we put a high value on our freedoms and this includes our safety.
Many believe that in order to be safe those countries around us must also be
safe, and to Americans, China’s government is just the opposite. Dictionary.com
defines the word authoritarian as “of or pertaining to a governmental or political system,
principle or practice in which individual freedom is held as completely
subordinate to the power or authority of the sates, centered either in one
person or a small group that is not constitutionally accountable to the people”
(Dictionary.com). This shows how little say or freedom the citizens of China
have under the authoritarian government. This prevents the Chinese citizens from
selecting a leader of their choice. As Americans it is very common for us to
believe that the way we do things is the best way for things to be done. Ma Ying states in “China’s Stubborn Anti-Democracy”
that “To Washington, a China that is headed down a democratic path--even as it
amasses military, political, and economic might--would offer the best assurance
for peace, prosperity and cooperation with the United States and the world”
(Ying 1). Every citizen should live in a world of peace and prosperity like
Ying mentioned. But they also should be able to have a say in who is elected in
their government. This is where America’s system is more efficient. The
Electoral College allows everyone to have a say to not only pick out of three
candidates, but also which party they want to belong to and the President who
wins the election is who the majority of citizens wanted to be President.
America should
not model ourselves after the Chinese. This is because what makes America great
and stand out from other countries is exactly what the Chinese do not have in
their government. All we can do as a nation is put our best foot forward and do
what is best for us, if other nations decide to model what we do then that only
encourages us. However if they do not, then we have two options. We can either
attempt to convince them of our beliefs or allow them to continue with what
they believe and focus on our country.
Works
Cited
1. "authoritarian."
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins
Publishers. 07 Apr. 2013. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/authoritarian>.
2. Ma,
Ying. "China's stubborn anti-democracy." Policy Review 141 (2007): 3+. Academic OneFile. Web. 30
Mar. 2013. Document URL
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