It is widely acknowledged that democracy is the cornerstone of any modern nation or state. As such, it is essential for the legislative and executive branches of government to embody the virtues of democracy in any decision they make. But can this principle be met when officials must make decisions that affect the lives of millions?The first problem with relying on the judgment of officials is that the people they are meant to serve may not be informed. In many foreign nations, citizens are not made aware of the issues their government is facing, and therefore cannot make a decision for or against a particular policy without knowing the causes behind it. In nations such as China, a lack of access to information and freedom of the press are commonplace. As a result, the government simply implements whatever policy it wants without debate or input from the people. In democratic nations, however, the media is tasked with informing the public of the issues that face their nation, and citizens are encouraged to speak up with their opinions. As a result, government officials usually receive a great deal of feedback, which enables them to make informed decisions based on the wishes of the populace

The second problem with relying on the judgment of officials is that, being human, they may be prone to bias. Whenever any faction within the government gains any power, it will inevitably attempt to manipulate the minds of its cohorts in order to further its own agenda. This manipulation of power can lead to a dictatorship, in which no decision can be made without the approval of the ruling faction. In a democracy, however, all citizens are equal under the law, and so have equal rights to engage in the political process. This, in turn, prevents them from gaining too much power through manipulation, since there is no single faction that can exert its will over the rest of the government

The third problem with relying on the judgment of officials is that the people they are meant to serve may not actually be consulted. In many cases, the citizenry of a nation may not understand the issues the government faces, or their real impact. For example, many Americans are unaware that the prescription drug benefit program they have been using for decades was once derided as a ‘socialist’ healthcare system. They have no idea that the program was created by a Republican president and that many of its original provisions were later changed or removed. Government officials must take the time to educate the people, and then make their decisions based on what they learn

Without the above considerations, democracy would collapse. The legislative and executive branches of government must ensure that the people they are meant to serve are informed, that no single group gains undue power, and that the decision-making process is transparent and democratic. Only then can democracy survive, and with it the nation that supports it.