Has America Been Converted From A Republic To A Democracy By Social Media?

Has America Been Converted From A Republic To A Democracy By Social Media?

By

Leonard Zwelling

The United States of America was designed to be a representative republic not a democracy. The Founding Fathers were rather suspicious and concerned about the common man. Without important checks in place, that common man could become a mob rather easily. So, they put in place the Electoral College, Senators were not to be directly elected, women could not vote, and Congressional representatives were given the most power. Along with the common man, the Founders were afraid of concentrating too much power in the President lest he become a king.

Lots has changed since then. We do elect our senators directly. Women can vote. But even today, the general population does not have any say in the day- to-day operations of the federal government. The people get to vote every two years for their representatives, every six for their senators, and every four for the president. Those elected run the show.

Until now.

Today the major debates in our country take place across X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook (if you’re a Boomer), and other various social media platforms. More importantly, more people than ever get their news from these platforms and not from traditional media like radio, TV, or newspapers. Social media is the powerful means of communication and it is the way political thought is influenced. Given that, this means that not just those elected, but everyone has an opinion that appears to have equal weight on the Internet and does influence the way elected officials make decisions. We have become a democracy through the power of mass communication through cell phones.

Is there danger in this loss of control by the traditional centers of power in Washington and beyond?

That depends on what you believe.

If you believe that information is best acquired having been curated by people who purport to be experts, this is not good news. Editors and news bureau chiefs have been emasculated by TikTok influencers.

If, however, you believe that first person observations and alternative viewpoints from those not in the mainstream are beneficial, you will welcome this brave new world.

The challenge then becomes, if you reject the traditional sources of what was considered good information—major newspapers, mainstream television news, and conventional radio—how do you weigh the validity of your new source material? I have no idea.

As readers of this blog know, I have stuck with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, and NBC Nightly News.

Do I find fault with these sources?  I do.

I find the Times very biased to the left and the reporting often lazy, or at least the writing is. It makes you wonder if there are editors at the Times some days.

The opposite is the case with The Wall Street Journal. It has a significant rightward bias which sometimes insults your intelligence.

The cable news outlets have been discussed ad nauseum. MSNBC cannot control its leftward gaze any more than Fox can control its rightward one. CNN pretends to be even handed, but it leans to the left, too. As far as NBC Nightly News, it’s a welcome thing that Lester Holt is stepping down. The broadcast needs severe revision. It needs to focus on what matters which is not the latest snow storm in New York or flooding in North Carolina. The feel-good story at the end is another insult to one’s intelligence. It is the Stupid Pet Tricks of the news business.

All that being said, social media has democratized politics as much as it has democratized cat videos.

I’m not really sure what James Madison would think. But of course, Alexander Hamilton is now a Broadway star.