Whitman’s vision of America’s development is a refreshing an interesting vision national development, but I do not believe it is entirely valid today. Whitman looks at the development of the country in three stages. First people establish the government. Second the country becomes wealthy. Finally the country builds a rich an original culture. Whitman looks at these parts of national development as a series of goals that the American people can complete and advance to the next, but these stages are ever evolving dimensions of the American experience.
Over the tenure of 44 presidents and 112 congresses the nation has evolved substantially. The nation has included far more citizens in the voting process by lowering the voting age. Over the 140 years since Whitman asserted that America had long passed his first stage of democratic development the country continues to altar its structure. Executive power has gone far beyond the bounds that Lincoln established and the original vision of the founders. The nation does not stop trying to perfect and modify its democratic structure.
Whitman’s understanding of the nation and predictions of the rise of “electric communication” partially grasps the ways the information age affects democracy. He imagined that the future communication would allow America to communicate its unique literary soul rooted in democracy to the world. He did not predict the way electronic communication would alter the nature of the government. The media has always severed as an essential link between the American people and the government. Now the sheer speed of communication creates entirely new concerns for candidates. Candidates must contend the fact that at someone can almost always take their picture a make of video of any mistake. The media has created the need for a constant struggle to maintain a dignified image.
The ease of mass distribution of information also touches on another part of modern democracy, the willingness to suspend democratic ideals in favor of safety. The most power full example of the tension between the freedom and safety is Julian Assange’s dedication to releasing classified information. The document he releases obstructs the nations ability to govern and does put people at risk. However, Americans hold freedom of the press as a sacred ideal. Assange touches a nerve by putting the government and the portion of media directly at odds. This conflict underlies much of the government’ interaction with the press.
Whitman hoped for a nation defined by original literature. Today the most influential part of the people’s participation in government is the ever-present mass media.
