The Federal Government as a Threat to Democracy

Early in its history as a nation, the United States government did not assert much power, but as time went on, the government’s power outweighed the democratic ideals of the people. The government did this by acquiring features generally attributed to a totalitarian dictatorship. One such incident was the writing of and reading of the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine, which was nothing more than a statement issued by President Monroe to Congress in 1823, …

…government picked up in the antebellum period, it is a wonder that America was able to remain a democracy. Fortunately, with the coming of the Civil War, the largest battle ever fought for the upholding of the Constitution, democracy was able to survive. Appendix 1 * Works Cited Bailey, Thomas A. and David M. Kennedy. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath, 1994. Gragg, Larry. “Order vs. Liberty.” American History. October 1998: 1-7.