Since our country's founding, we have prided ourselves on being the great democracy. In more recent history, it has become harder to defend such a reputation. If a democracy can be considered a government in which the people have the final say, then that is no longer what we are. The people are no longer the primary source of political power in our country, and they seem in fact to continually be losing their power of voice.
             The state of our electoral process is a perfect example of the people's voice being ignored. The Electoral College makes voting by the people almost unnecessary. In the majority of our country's presidential elections, the candidate who wins the popular vote is almost always predicted to lose in the Electoral College. The popular vote is just to relieve curiosity. Everybody wants to know how the country will vote, but no one really cares after the fact. Voting by the people is what you do in a democracy, so that's what we do. It's as if the reason that the people still vote is to keep up appearances. And it's not as if the people don't notice. Perhaps the reason so many eligible voters don't vote is because they feel their vote is meaningless. People are encouraged to vote to make a difference, to make their voices heard, but if no one is listening, then what is the point.
             The main way that the citizens of this country are still able to have any voice is through congress. Because senators and members of the House are still directly elected, they are the ones who still allow for the peoples' will to be heard. The constitution allows for both houses of congress to check the powers and doings of the president. This is where the people are still able to induce change. Even in congress, though, getting any important legislation through can still be a somewhat bureaucratic process. And because the majority of our country is obviously republican, there is even more of a chance that any drastic legislation that mig...