[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 513 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 513

Recognizing the vital importance of democracy in the United States and 
encouraging State and local governments to aide citizens in reflecting 
   on the contributions of democracy to a more free and stable world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2019

  Mr. Raskin (for himself and Mr. Armstrong) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the vital importance of democracy in the United States and 
encouraging State and local governments to aide citizens in reflecting 
   on the contributions of democracy to a more free and stable world.

Whereas 2,000 years after the ancient Greeks laid the groundwork for democracy, 
        the founders of the United States built an even greater democratic 
        system of government, a democratic republic, propelling the United 
        States to become the world's most advanced Nation in human history;
Whereas the model of government set forth in the United States Constitution has 
        been reproduced around the world;
Whereas the system of Government of the United States, the world's oldest 
        constitutional democracy, has made significant contributions to the a 
        more free and stable world;
Whereas the system of Government of the United States, the world's oldest 
        constitutional democracy, has made significant contributions to the a 
        more free and stable world;
Whereas according to Freedom House, despite the expansion of democracy 
        worldwide, today more than one in three people in the world do not live 
        in States considered free;
Whereas the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, with the 
        addition of the Reconstruction Era amendments, including the 14th, 15th, 
        and the 19th Amendments, enshrine the rights and civil liberties of 
        citizens of the United States, including the right to vote in free and 
        fair elections and they have done so peacefully since the Nation's 
        founding;
Whereas the perpetuation of democracy's ideals does not happen on its own, and 
        can be stalled or reversed;
Whereas surveys show that citizens of the United States are losing faith in the 
        democratic system;
Whereas according to a study published in the Journal of Democracy--

    (1) 91 percent of young people in the United States, in the 1930s, 
thought it ``essential'' to live in a democracy;

    (2) only 30 percent of young people in the United States, in 2018, 
think that it is ``essential'' to live in a democracy;

    (3) 24 percent of young people in the United States, in 2018, think 
democracy is a ``bad'' or ``very bad'' way of running the country;

    (4) 35 percent think that army rule is a good way to run a government; 
and

    (5) a majority of those under 60 in the United States believe it is 
``essential'' to live in a democracy;

Whereas according to a study published by the Higher Education Research 
        Institute at UCLA, twice the percentage of college freshmen today 
        (compared to the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s) support banning extreme 
        speakers;
Whereas according to a University of Pennsylvania Public Policy Center poll, 
        nearly one-third of all individuals in the United States cannot name a 
        single branch of our Government;
Whereas the International Democracy Index recently labeled America as a ``flawed 
        democracy'', ranked 21st among democratic nations;
Whereas Freedom House concluded ``Democracy as the world's dominant form of 
        government is under greater threat than at any point in the last 25 
        years.'';
Whereas President John Adams warned that ``democracy never lasts long'';
Whereas President George Washington said the United States must recognize the 
        immense value of the national union and work toward its preservation 
        with ``jealous anxiety'' and wrote that the security of a free 
        Constitution may be accomplished by ``teaching the people themselves to 
        know and to value their own rights'';
Whereas President Thomas Jefferson wrote, ``Educate and inform the whole mass of 
        the people . . . . They are the only sure reliance for the preservation 
        of our liberty.'';
Whereas the contemporary Oxford professor Stein Ringen observed, ``Democracy is 
        not the default . . . it will disintegrate unless nurtured.'';
Whereas former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said, ``The practice of 
        democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught 
        and learned anew by each generation of citizens.'';
Whereas President John F. Kennedy said, ``Democracy is never a final 
        achievement. It is a call to effort, to sacrifice, and a willingness to 
        live and die in its defense.'';
Whereas President Ronald Reagan said, ``Democracy is worth dying for, because 
        it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by 
        man.'';
Whereas World War II demonstrated the fragility of democracy and its 
        accompanying civilized life;
Whereas British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's observed that ``Democracy is 
        the worst form of government, except for all the others that have ever 
        been tried.''; and
Whereas evidence of the diminution of strong support for democratic principles 
        in recent years among citizens of the United States suggests the 
        Government of the United States must once again teach and educate the 
        people by taking appropriate actions to highlight and emphasize the 
        importance of democratic principles and their essential role in our 
        freedoms and way of life: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of reminding citizens of the 
        United States of the vital importance of democracy;
            (2) encourages officials of State and local governments to 
        also recognize the importance of helping individuals in the 
        United States understand the vital importance of democracy;
            (3) will strive to help all our citizens understand that 
        democracy is the only form of government that has been able to 
        provide freedom with any regularity;
            (4) recognizes that hundreds of thousands of American men 
        and women in past generations have sacrificed greatly to 
        preserve the freedoms and principles of the United States, 
        including giving their lives, so that we might enjoy the 
        freedoms that emanate from democracy; and
            (5) encourages the people of the United States to reflect 
        on and appreciate the contributions made by the democratic 
        system of government created by the United States Constitution 
        to a more free and stable world.
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