French President Emmanuel Macron and democracy

All democracies have similar legislation to bypass the democratic system. In the United States, the war against democracy is intense.

The following paragraphs cover four areas in the United States: (i) the undemocratic election system, (ii) The gerrymandering of electoral boundaries, (iii) Creating difficulties for black voters and (iv) The battles between the political parties.

The minimal criterion of democracy is universal suffrage. In 1893, the self-governing British colony of New Zealand became the first jurisdiction in the world to grant universal adult suffrage, including women, The Scandinavian countries followed, Britain did not gain universal suffrage until 1928. In United States the Supreme Court under Earl Warren and the U.S. Congress expanded the voting rights of all Americans, through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As the following four issues demonstrate, however, the electoral system then devised, is far from perfect.

1, The Electoral College attempts to give equal weighting to each state. Smaller states therefore have disproportionate influence on the election of the president. In short, it is not one person, one vote in the United States. Kay C. James, President of the Heritage Foundation, an extremely conservative organisation, has stated: "For over 200 years America has elected its presidents through the Electoral College. While it's a unique method for choosing a president, our country's framers intentionally designed it this way."

'They wanted to strike a critical balance between people being able to choose their leader and states having proper representation in the process," James said.

2.Gerrymandering, an American term, was used for the first time in the Boston Gazette on 26 March 1812 to describe the redrawing of the Massachusetts state senate election districts under the then-governor Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814). Unfortunately, it is a practice that has spread worldwide.

3.Creating obstacles for black voters. Black voters are frequently disenfranchised. Several methods are used: In Florida, an investigative commission's report stated: "a black citizen was 10 times as likely to have a vote rejected as a white voter." Access to booths in black areas are restricted, the number of booths is reduced causing long lines and lengthy waits. North Carolina required ID's that a disproportionate number of black people did not have. Many republican dominated states are still attempting to limit black voting. Many of these problems are discussed under the issues arising with the Republican Party.

4.Political battles. Several newspapers have described the US political scene as fractured. The Republican and Democratic parties are at near war. The American Review describes U.S. political system as broken, asking, how can we fix it?

Australia experienced a different attack on democracy when the Governor General dismissed the elected government of Gough Whitlam. Under Whitlam's leadership, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) contested and won the December 1972 election campaign. After less than three years in power the Whitlam government had enacted 508 bills. Significant laws were passed in relation to education, community health and wellbeing, Indigenous Australians, multiculturalism, women's rights, international relations, defence, environment, economy and the arts.

But the Whitlam government ran into a number of issues The Khemlani affair and the attempted raising of funds by the Minister for Minerals and Energy, Rex Connor and Treasurer Dr Jim Cairns. It severely tarnished Australia's international reputation. Then there was Juni Morosi and Jim Cairns. Employed as Principal Private Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Dr Jim Cairns, Morosi was a target for gossip, who alleged that she and Cairns were having an affair, despite the fact both were married.

The Whitlam government lost support. On 11 November 1975 Gough Whitlam proposed an immediate 'half Senate' election in order to break the stalemate.

This measure was not granted, and in a dramatic and controversial decision Governor-General Sir John Kerr instead dismissed the Whitlam government and appointed Liberal leader Malcolm Fraser as caretaker prime minister.