The Founding Fathers founded America upon the basis that the government exists to protect and defend people’s basic rights and that if the government fails to do so, the nation has the right to form a new government.
With that, the Framers created a series of mechanisms that make that possible. It is a broad system that makes it possible for all citizens to participate in a certain way. There are many ways to participate:
The main one is to vote in local, state and national elections.
Citizens can influence their representatives by signing petitions defending a certain point or asking something.
Another way to influence representatives is to lobby for laws that are of interest.
Citizens are also allowed to protest as a way to participate politically, protests can be in a form of marches, boycotts, sit-ins, and other forms.
And also, the citizen can run for office or hold public office.
All of these methods are important, citizens have to vote and make their voices heard through their representatives or directly by protests. Democracy is made by all of us.
