The 2000 Presidential Election: A Success for US Democracy

One of the items that impacts how I view the world is my academic background. I have been trained as a historian (my degree is in history) and view the world much differently than most of my colleagues. Even many of my department colleagues (especially those whose degrees are in one or more of the social sciences) don't see the world the same that I do.

Case in point is the Presidential Election of 2000. Most Americans view it as a "black eye" for US democracy but this is due to their lack of understanding of historical processes. I viewed the election as a success fro the following reasons:

a) the army did not overthrow the government;

b) the president did not declare a state of emergency and extend the length of his term in violation of the Constitution;

c) there were no legal restrictions on the press to avoid reporting on the situation (allowing the citizens of the US and the world to see the process unfold);

d) while there was violence at some demonstrations, widespread civil war did not erupt;

e) the Constitutional process (outlined in Article II, Section 1 and modified by the 12th Amendment) was followed: the electoral votes were cast and they were counted by the President of the Senate in the presence of both houses. For those unfamiliar with the US Government, the President of the Senate is the Vice-President of the US who, in 2000, was...Al Gore!

If a person takes the above (a-e) for granted, just know this: it is NOT the norm. In most countries at most time periods such trials resulted in a military takeover either outright or to stem widespread civil unrest resulting from a heated event.

Many US citizens expect their government to be perfect. Yet, humans are fallible, imperfect entities and so are the structures (e.g., governments) that they create. On 20 January 2001, the US Constitution was still in effect, there was a peaceful transition of power, and the country moved on. During a trying time, the US democracy held and, from that viewpoint, the 2000 Presidential Election was a success.