Democracy must be conceived as a universal concept. It can be adapted, in detail, in many different contexts, but the substance can not depend on its particular realization. Yet, there are now democracies profoundly different. For example, American democracy differs substantially from the European democracies, in the forms of participation and involvement of voters, in the nature, structure and organization of parties, in the actual power enjoyed by the voters. Perhaps the explanation of the contradiction present made of diversity and universality are incompatible, is that the meaning of the universal concept of democracy is not yet completely clear. To better understand it is useful to know about the American democracy, how it has evolved to its modern form, as it functions today and how it worked in the past, what role they have and have had the voters, as political parties, what tools are used to give voice to the people.
Today, American democracy is properly the values \u200b\u200band aspirations of the American people, is efficient and transparent. To achieve this goal, it took two centuries, and a dynamism and adaptability overtime. A gradual evolutionary movement, spontaneous and irreversible, of which only now can we appreciate the end, produced a system very different from what the founding fathers had in mind: the party system ruled by their constituents.
The basic tools of modern American popular government parties are the convention of delegates and the direct primary. Through primary voters nominate candidates for election and their representatives (delegates) to the convention. The convention is the highest authority of the party, down the rules, addresses political activity, develop the program and decide on any election matter it considers appropriate. Interrelated in a manner that will explain in detail, the primary and the convention should ensure the full, timely and fair participation of voters in all activities of the party and the proper representation of popular will.
Outside the United States, primary elections are more the exception than the rule. Sporadic experiments were performed recently in Europe, in some states of South America and Asia. Of the party system ruled by the voters, that the system convention / primary, relevant examples are not known outside the United States.
We used to call any representative democracy a system in which the people's representatives are elected by the people, not cure us of how candidates are selected. Still, the selection of candidates is a crucial step in the process of selecting representatives. Similarly, do not attach much importance to the internal functioning of parties. As a free association of free citizens, political parties can certainly regulate as they see fit, but it is also true that in evaluating a democracy should be taken into account the real possibility of voter participation. Because the parties act, or should serve, a bridge between citizens and institutions, is more necessary than ever deal in detail their role and their function. If the parties do not work properly, not working democracy. We return to the meaning of the concept of democracy, and its universality. You can talk about representative democracy when the nominations are decided from above, without any popular consultation, in summit meetings involving a limited number of persons, or informal meetings between heads of party leaders and elected representatives-current? Democracy is one in which the parties decide their own rules without consulting the voters? That's where there are "members" who buy the "weave" that is charged for a privilege what should be their right, the right to participate equally in decisions of the party which is acknowledged? This explains the lack of diversity and universality of which we spoke above: we often use the word democracy to mean any system other than the patently non-democratic systems, such as dictatorship, totalitarianism, monarchy, aristocracy, the ' oligarchy, and so on. Not characterized ziamo democracy in the affirmative and sufficiently accurate for what it is . Usually this "negative", that is, for what it is not . However, among the many "non-dictators" as possible, maybe equipped with elections, one is the democracy.
For a political system can be called representative democracy requires that all the steps of the process leading to the selection of representatives of the citizens are left to the voters. In particular, voters should nominate candidates for election, to establish the rules of the parties, the political program and the electoral program. Each voter must be guaranteed full, timely and equal opportunity to participate in all decisions of the party. Finally, voters should be consulted in ways that ensure the correct representation of their will. In other words, democracy requires that the parties are governed by their constituents.
In the past, U.S. policy through difficulties similar to those currently afflicting the Italian politics. Among these, mention the lack of transparency, the incorrect representation of popular will, the problem of applications decided from above, without any popular consultation, or even reversing the outcome of the referenda, the current policy, and factional bosses ; the exhausting controversies and disputes between supporters of rival factions; agreements compromise in not to upset anyone, the lack of objective criteria to identify the strongest candidates and popular, and with more chance of beating opponents, the elite control exercised by privileged groups in the process of selecting representatives of the people. These problems were overcome less than forty years ago, after almost two centuries of attempts.
In the first part of the book we will study the history of American parties, from its origins to modern times, focusing on their organization and structure, forms of voter participation, the process of nomination of candidates . In the second part will analyze the operation the open party system and ruled by the voters, made up of direct primaries and conventions. The elections for public office, as opposed to primary elections, will be called "general elections".