Buy Preserving Democracy as an audio book from Borders Books.

A key aspect of any democratic government is freedom. As Thomas Jefferson stated, “It is to secure our rights that we resort to government at all.”ⁱ He also said, “The equal rights of man and the happiness of every individual are now acknowledged to be the only legitimate objects of government.”ⁱⁱ Yet, the more democracies try to do to improve the lives of their citizens, the less freedom those citizens will have.

In addition, government programs, while reducing freedom, don’t always accomplish what the framers of the bill set out to accomplish, as demonstrated by the Cash for Clunkers program.  It appears now that this program has forced up the price of used cars, thus negatively impacting lower and middle people who often buy used cars to save money.  The story comes via WIOD NewsRadio.  (HT:  The Agitator)

The expanded Preserving Democracy is now available for the Amazon.com Kindle.

This new edition includes all material added to the expanded paperback edition, and is available for only $7.99.

Senators should carefully consider the candidate, and not just qualifications, but also judicial philosophy.  That’s “doing unto the voters.”

As Elgin suggests in chapter 4:

The only solution is to insist that judges make rulings based strictly on the law. This will be difficult because, as judges have started to make legislative decisions, they have entered the political process and have gained political backing and support from those who like their rulings. Many find it much easier to have courts impose the policies they like, rather than to have to deal with the ambiguities of the democratic process. So one of the first steps will be to have a majority realize what exactly is at stake and the antidemocratic nature of the court’s rulings.

This suggests care in the selection of judges.

In an update for the new, expanded paperback edition, Elgin notes:

Update: In May 2009 the California Supreme Court issued a 6-1 ruling upholding Proposition 8. However, this did not end the issue. Advocates for same-sex marriage filed suit in federal court, and as a result, in January 2010 a trial began which put both the traditional definition of marriage and the people’s right to define democratically the society in which they live on trial.

In a rather clear case of trying to legislate from the bency, Judge Walker today ruled the proposition unconstitutional (source).  Doubtless this will go to the Supreme Court.

Update: A new review today from Chris Clark mentions this very issue.

Preserving Democracy is an excellent survey of the American political system and what has gone wrong. It is not a book that gives you a thorough in-depth view of any particular study and I wouldn’t say I came across anything new, but it still was an engaging read and is a book I would recommend for people who are less familiar with the bigger political issues of the day. …

From “the voice of one crying out in suburbia …”

This is a troubling situation.  As Elgin notes at the conclusion of chapter 6:

Voting should be treated as the important cornerstone of democracy that it is. We should do everything we can to protect and preserve it with the goal that not only should every vote be counted, but also that every vote that is cast is legally cast by an eligible voter; a voter who is given an actual choice in the process. —  p. 173

Preserving Democracy is available from Energion Direct, and other online retailers.  If you are active in the political process this season as more than just a voter, check our activist pricing.