Andrew Messerle
Professor Kumar
Intermediate Composition Rhetorical Analysis
February 9, 2015
“Democracy as thus defined has suffered an astounding decline in prestige.” (Becker
145). Ideal Democracy is written by Carl Lotus Becker. He is a renounced American historian,
born near Waterloo, Iowa on September 7th 1873. He studied history at the University of
Wisconsin. His work, Ideal Democracy talks about democracy, a very strong topic for anyone
who believes in freedom. The work approaches different aspects of cultures that use a form of
democracy; he talks about the beliefs behind our democracy and those who have given
democracy a strong push towards enforcing it and its beliefs. The purpose of this work is to,
allow readers to understand what democracy is made of, what is the understanding behind it all.
“make evident the nature of democracy” (Becker 145). Becker, being a historian, takes works of
history to put emphasis and strength to his work by applying their concepts and the ideas of other
historical figures. Looking at Becker’s supporting statements made by other influential people,
he makes a noticeable trend. He takes more current events, backtracks all the way to the times of
B.C. and then returns back to more current. It takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the pages
of the past and how we built up to this understanding of history’s version of democracy. I feel
Becker took this approach to help many United States citizens realize the magnitude and power
democracy has attained in its ongoing growth and strength throughout history; not only in the
sense of one countries democracy, but all the different aspects of democracy. How this idea has
shaped and formed into what we see it now. He wants the readers to know what democracy
means; the power to choose and to understand that you made this choice for yourself and are
allowed to do so.
The excerpt from Becker’s work is effective at convincing his readers that we are not
living as though we have democracy. “We suffer a rhetorical shock finding that once a
definition has been produced we fear it may not define our present condition” (Becker 145).
Becker expressed that we are not working together as a whole to living up to the standards of
democracy we need to be able to unite in order to obtain this freedom. “Democracy is in some
sense an economic luxury” (Becker 145). Later in his work, Becker make a statement that he
used prior in his work, giving it more emphasis. “The most obvious political fact of our time is
that democracy as thus defined has suffered an astounding decline in prestige” (Becker 149).
Looking more into the text we need to understand that we need to come together. “To define it as
a government of the people, by the people, for the people, or to define it as government of the
people” (Becker 148).
Looking at Becker’s idea that democracy is an “economic luxury”, we need to look at
another country or other examples of those who have left the idea of democracy and how they
have either perished or flourished. “it may be said that in modern times it has been a function of
the development of new and potentially rich countries, or of the industrial revolution which
suddenly dowered Europe with unaccustomed wealth” (Becker 152). While Russia was
practicing the ideas of being under the rule of democracy, it has helped the country with financial
stability. Once Russia decides to leave the idea of democracy it finds itself falling away from the
success it once had with the help of unity. “Now that prosperity is disappearing round every next
corner, democracy works less well that it did” (Becker 152). This being a strong emphasis on the
fact of being able to support yourself, being able to make those decisions that will allow you to
prosper and to feel like you are alive. “The primary assumption of democratic government is that
its citizens are capable of managing their own affairs.” (Becker 152).
Looking at the prestige, or the status of democracy we find that according to Becker it is
declining. “It is a striking fact that until recently democracy never flourished except in very
small states” (Becker 151). After reading this and applying some thought behind this statement,
the ability to govern or guide a larger area or group of people would be a lot more difficult than
to say a smaller region or area. Although it is more difficult we are capable in maintaining
democracy with proper communication. “If their hopes were confounded the reason is that the
means of communication, figuratively speaking, were making large countries small” (Becker
151). With this being said, the United States is capable of being united and can have unity under
the idea of democracy because of the advancement of communication. This also relates to the
above statement of the luxury that is democracy. Without the advancements that we currently
have inforce we would be without the will power or advancement to help with the technology.
“The United States would today be divided into many smaller republics maneuvering for
advantage and employing war and diplomacy for maintaining an unstable balance of power.”
(Becker 151).
Now looking at the government as a whole as a unit. “I do not need to tell you that within
a brief twenty years the prevailing optimism of that time has been quite dispelled. One European
country after another has, willingly enough it seems, abandoned whatever democratic institutions
it formerly enjoyed for some form of dictatorship” (Becker 149-150). I feel he included this to
place emphasis on the belief that we cannot allow for this type of change without our
government. This change to idea that democracy is no longer a needed belief. We should throw
away our belief in freedom of choice and to accept that we are to be ruled completely. “It would
be possible then to define democracy either in terms of the ideal or in terms of the real form- to
define it as government of the people, by the people, for the people, or to be define it as
government of the people.” (Becker 148). Becker wants out government to form together as a
whole. We need to apply the guidelines to the living and breathing ideas of the United States
constitution. The reason for the constitution was to being this belief of democracy to life and to
allow for all the citizens to be able to live with this freedom, the be able to understand that they
are capable of making their own choices with their life and this freedom should not be taken
away from anyone by anyone. “So regarded, the term democracy refers primarily to a form of
government, and it has always meant government by the many as opposed to government by the
one- government by the people as opposed to government by a tyrant, a dictator, or an absolute
monarch.” (Becker 148). Looking back at the previous notion about Russia changing to a
dictatorship allows more understanding how democracy does not fall under change in rule or
government.
All of these works within the piece have a strong fluent motion that allows the reader to
understand how Becker makes his approach reaching out to the reader and allowing them to see
the emphasis on his logic and his ideas about how government should rule with the people of the
government to have a say in the actions of the government. These point flow fluently through the
authors work, giving it strong structured foundation and validity. All of the points made above
support the idea of democracy, giving valid support to the understanding of what democracy can
and is. The ability to make choices is a strong encouragement for anyone who has dreams and
ambitions that they wish to follow. Having all the pieces to a puzzle, make for a beautiful
picture. The author, the creative approach to democracy, Becker allows the reader to glide
through his work and apply this belief to anyone living in a society that is governed by
democracy. He allows them to fully understand and realize the belief that is democracy. The
author did a great job making his belief of democracy come to life, with great supporting facts
and real life situation from people who made a strong impact on the way we see and live in a life
with democracy as an option. I feel his work could have used more on the idea of utopia and
what is stood for. Maybe even start with the utopia and the worked forward in progression of
democracy in means of its timeline rather than going backwards then coming forwards. I did
like the facts and usage but I would rather it be in chronological order.
Works Cited
"Carl Lotus Becker Facts." Carl Lotus Becker Facts. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
<http://biography.yourdictionary.com/carl-lotus-becker>.
“Ideal Democracy” Carl Lotus Becker, Modern Democracy. 9 Feb. 2015