The nature of democracy requires that its citizens be dependent upon one another

Having slacked off last night, I got up extra early this morning to do a writing sample. Yesterday I have been reading the Economist to boost my vocabulary and to build my reading comprehension skills. I jogged down several words I did not understand, looked them up and memorized them. I hope I can still remember those words as I try to put them to use in this writing sample. Without further ado, let's write.

I have decided to write up a small outline before writing so that I can stay on task.

The nature of democracy requires that its citizens be dependent upon one another.
Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which citizens in a democracy might justifiably not be dependent upon one another. Discuss what you think determines when citizens in a democracy should be dependent upon one another.

Outline:

1. In democratic societies, decisions are made not by an individual but by a collective. Therefore, individuals must work together in order to achieve a common goal.
2. However, in a democratic society, individuals also make personal decisions that does not affect the society as a whole. In these cases decisions are reached individuals, therefore the citizens are not dependent on one another.
3. Whether or not citizens are dependent on one another depends on the impact of the decision.

Democracy literally means government by the people, and it is a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people. In such societies, decisions are not made individually by one or a few individuals, but as a collective. Through voting, The decision that is represented by the majority is adopted. As a result of the nature of democracy, opinions of an individual can only be expressed by congregating with other individuals who share the same view. Therefore, individuals in a democratic society are dependent on one another.

However, when it comes to small scale decision making, decisions are usually made individually or by a small group of people due to its speed and efficiency. An example would be decision making in a family. Although each individual of the family may possess different values and have different preferences, decisions are usually made by the parents, usually without consultation with the rest of the family members. The decisions made in this manner usually do not affect the society as a whole, and in this case, decisions are made by individuals without dependence on one another.

Whether individuals should depend on one another in decision making is dependent on the influence of the decision on the society as a whole. Usually the decision that impacts the society greatly are reached after careful planning and voting. In this case the individuals must be dependent on one another. In contrast, if the decision in question influences only a small unit of a society, such as a family, but have limited influence on the society as a whole, the decisions are usually made individually.

(Word count: 272)

Well, I kept within the allowable 30-minute limit this time, but the writing positively sucks. I think I would be very lucky to get even a 4 on this writing. I did not go into enough depth. In addition, I don't really like my counter thesis because a family isn't really a democratic unit. Families are usually controlled by one or two individuals: an oligarchy, so decisions are natually made without dependent on other members of family.

Obviously I have not had enough sleep... I'm going back to bed.