Ten Questions for American Democracy

Ten Questions for American Democracy

Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China (RDCY)

2021.12.06

Ten Questions for American Democracy

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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Question 1: Democracy for the majority or "democracy" for

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the minority?

1.1 Minority over the majority

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1.2 Power serves the capital

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1.3 People's will are difficult to truly realize

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Question 2: Ensure checks and balances of power or lead

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to abuse of power?

2.1 Objections for the sake of "objections"

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2.2 Legal corruption becomes the norm

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2.3 Arbitrary and capricious power

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Question 3: Improve people's well-being or increase

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people's suffering?

3.1 People's life goes from bad to worse

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3.2 Elegy of the middle class

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3.3 1% > 90%

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Question 4: Defend freedom or hinder freedom?

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4.1 "Overloaded personal freedom"

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4.2 "That's the story of life"

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4.3 False freedom of speech

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Question 5: Protect human rights or violate human rights?

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5.1 Every year, more than 30,000 people are killed in gun violence

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5.2 "Black Lives Matter"

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5.3 Near 800,000 lives died in the "massacre"

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Ten Questions for American Democracy

Question 6: Promote unity or lead to division?

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6.1 "Go separate ways"

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6.2 "Go back where you came from"

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6.3 Torn values

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Question 7: Realize dreams or bring nightmares?

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7.1 Disillusionment of the American Dream

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7.2 American negative energy

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7.3 Confusion and despair for the future

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Question 8: Improve national governance or lead to

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system failure?

8.1 The proliferation of "vetocracy"

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8.2 The federal and state governments obstruct each other

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8.3 "Collapsed" disaster response

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Question 9: Bring development and prosperity or

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disaster and turmoil to other countries?

9.1 "Arab Winter"

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9.2 Refugee maker

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9.3 Cause catastrophes in other countries

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Question 10: Safeguard world peace and development

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or undermine international order?

10.1 392 military interventions

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10.2 "The dollar is our currency, but it's your problem"

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10.3 Hegemony, arrogance and bullying

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Conclusion

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Ten Questions for American Democracy

Ten Questions for American Democracy

Executive Summary

The "Summit for Democracy," a new international charade by the United States of America, will take place on December 9 and 10, 2021. This move has raised doubts and even dissatisfaction in many countries. At present, even many scholars, media, and relevant organizations from all walks of life in the United States have expressed their concerns that American democracy has caused social disorder at home and created turmoil abroad. As a new variety of think tank been engaged in global governance for years, the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, has sorted out many American literatures and articles, releasing the research report "Ten Questions for American Democracy" on December 6. The report raises ten pointed questions to American democracy, hoping to help the world fully understand democracy and promote shared values for all humankind.

Question 1: Democracy for the majority or "democracy" for the minority? "Minority rule has metastasized like a cancer,"

power serves the capital, and more and more politicians don't put the real interests of voters first. Can today's American democracy be called people being the masters of the country?

Question 2: Ensure checks and balances of power or lead to abuse of power? There has been "hyperpolarization" in the political

operation. The tactics of American politicians far exceed those in the TV

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Ten Questions for American Democracy

series House of Cards. The American people's trust in the U.S. government has also "dropped to near freezing point."

Question 3: Improve people's well-being or increase people's suffering? By the end of 2020, more than 50 million

Americans faced food insecurity, a nearly 50% increase from 2019. More than 220,000 people are homeless. The American household wealth has not increased for almost 20 years. The wealthiest 1% of Americans hold about 43.27 trillion U.S. dollars, 14.3 times the bottom 50% of Americans (3.03 trillion U.S. dollars). U.S. Senators and House Representatives rely on the wealthiest 1%'s money for re-election, serve the wealthiest 1%, and even gain rewards from the wealthiest 1% when they leave office.

Question 4: Defend freedom or hinder freedom?

"Overloaded freedom" leads to a cultural war that exhausts energy and wastes resources, "which may lead to the disillusionment of democracy, delay the pandemic prevention in the United States, and is killing Americans." Hypocritical freedom of speech amplifies hatred and extreme emotions through social media. 64% of Americans believe that social media has a negative effect on the direction of the United States.

Question 5: Protect human rights or violate human rights? More than 38,000 deaths are related to gun violence each year,

20% of which are children and adolescents aged 1-17. The United States accounts for only 4% of the world's population but 35% of the world's firearm suicides. Hate crimes against Asians increased by 150% in 2020. The numbers of COVID infections and deaths are the highest in the world. Some cry, "this is a massacre"!

Question 6: Promote unity or lead to division? 52% of

Trump voters and 41% of Biden voters believe that separating the red and blue states from the union may be a better choice for the United States today. The United States is plunging into a "cold civil war." The

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