Blaine Ritzler

Module 12 – Capstone Paper

The necessity of societal changes after the Civil War caused the political structure of America

to become more democratic. After the Civil War there were immigrants in the slums, children in

the workforce, and millions of slaves to be freed and assimilated. These groups and their allies

would not stay quiet until the privileged class and government acknowledged their presence and

needs. The best example of this is Jacob Riis photographing and publishing the horrors of the

ghettos in the south district of New York City in his book How the Other Half Lives. His book

demanded the attention and action of the upper class, and it gave a voice to the immigrants who

had none, those who were overlooked, stepped on, and used. They soon became a political

weapon, and the slums were shut down and rebuilt. The goal of the Civil Rights movement to

end segregation also came to pass. The work of many African Americans and their allies ended

the inequality and injustice of the separation of races through peaceful protest and voting for

black candidates.

However, the push for a more democratic society is never met without opposition. In the case

of the immigrants in the slums, the old immigrants and native-born Americans met the new

immigrants with rage as the new immigrants were cheap labor that shut down labor unions.

Although the new immigrants won the compassion of the rich and new homes, legislation was

passed to slow the income of new immigrants. In the case of the Civil Rights movement,

opposition in the form of violence was not a rare sight. Attempts to desegregate Birmingham,

Alabama resulted in “more than fifty cross burnings and eighteen bomb attacks” (Pageant 880).

During peaceful protests and demonstrations, police released attack dogs and fireman sprayed

their hoses upon those in attendance. Despite these acts of opposition, society changed and

caused the political system to become more democratic as more people began to be represented.
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Additionally, America’s political structure became more democratic through the activity of

political activists. Political leaders have led movements that have changed America in drastic

ways. After publishing his book about the slums, Jacob Riis gave speeches, spoke to

philanthropists, and even garnered the attention of the New York Police Chief, Teddy Roosevelt.

As previously mentioned, his efforts were highly successful. Martin Luther King Jr. saw a world

in which the black man was “languishing in the corners of American society and finding himself

an exile in his own land” (King, I Have a Dream). King was able to speak clearly and

powerfully. He unified the nation towards a common goal of ending segregation by voting for

black candidates who would pass legislation that was pro-African American. He aimed at solving

the problem in the hearts of individuals in the nation. Today, King is known as one of the most

influential political activists in American history. Another famous leader during the Civil Rights

movement, Malcolm X, is not viewed as kindly by critics as King. His objectives were not aimed

at solving the problems, as King’s were, but getting far away from them. He did this because he

did not have faith that whites could change. His words polarized and he aimed for an isolated

nation just for blacks. The spirit of unity from King and the lack thereof by Malcolm X is what

drove the nation to King’s methods of changing society through votes and love. This in turn led

to a more democratic system of government during the Civil Rights movement.

America’s political structure became more democratic through the activity of elected

officials. The elected officials throughout American history have seen the opportunity to secure

their positions by listening and advocating for unreached groups and their allies. The republican

reconstructionist congress understood this well. After Abraham Lincoln’s death and President

Johnson’s entrance into the presidency with a soft hand towards the south, Congress attempted to

impeach him three times to secure the rights and votes of freed slaves. Political bosses in New
 Blaine Ritzler

York secured their positions by building hospitals, schools, and homes for the immigrants in the

slums and in turn guaranteed their votes. Later, Theodore Roosevelt became the first president to

side with labor unions with his Square Deal which controlled corporations, protected consumers,

and conserved the environment. During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt met the

needs of the American people with his New Deal programs, the largest government intervention

in history. Scholars “…concluded that the New Deal offered just about as much reform as

circumstances allowed and as the majority of Americans wanted” (Pageant, 767). Franklin D.

Roosevelt secured his position in office and became the only president elected to office four

times. The common thread between all of these men is how the furthering of the democratic

system of government was driven by the mutualistic relationship between themselves and those

in need. Americans were incentivized to vote and politicians to address societal flaws and needs.

America’s political structure became more democratic through civilian protests. Protests have

been extremely influential in starting conversations about the climate of society throughout

American history. Nonviolent protests were the preferred avenue of protest for Dr. King and his

followers as he described them as “…a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love”

(King, Stride, 80). In obeying the truths of the gospel and abiding in the spirit of Christ, King’s

followers proved blameless before the world. Images of hoses and attack dogs being released

upon the innocent, unretaliating protestors, revealed the true evil of racism in America. There

was no denying that action needed to be taken after viewing the brutality. Another major group

protesting during the 60’s were young counter-culturalists. They protested traditional standards

after the harsh realization that traditional institutions such as the church had not ridded society of

racism, sexism, imperialism, and oppression. Their form of protest was not as peaceful as King’s

followers. They brought attention to their causes by defacing traditional values through music,
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drugs, and a sexual revolution. There was no denying their presence and although their protests

did not unify people like Dr. King’s, they brought people to the polls to fight for their beliefs.

Each kind of protest during the 60’s drove the American political structure more democratic.

America’s political structure becoming more democratic through the response of political

activists, elected officials, and civilian protests to societal flaws is overwhelmingly positive. The

costs of moving away from a more republican system are outweighed by the advantages of a

more democratic system. When the United States moved towards the democratic system, the

sacrifice was speed and focus. The government, as shown in times of war, moves much quicker

when the system is more republican in nature. The move towards a more democratic government

also tends to focus the government on social issues more than real issues. This may lead to big

spending bills by politicians seeking reelection, and the national debt soaring. However, the

move towards the democratic structure of government has allowed necessary societal

improvements. The slums were shut down and rebuilt, the south was reconstructed, and

segregation was put to its end. The move also put more responsibility of government action on

the people. The democratic system emphasizes the responsibility of the voter for the actions of

the elected official. Doing the will of the people to earn reelection is the job of the politician. The

natural result of a democratic system is that citizens must open up conversations and advocate

for issues that are meaningful for them. We saw this with the protests in the 60’s and we see it

today.

Furthermore, the transition to a more democratic system is overwhelmingly positive in light

of Scripture. The ability for the democratic system to create social change is reminiscent of

Jesus’ words “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (ESV, 2016,

Matthew 22:39). It sounds quite simple, but the ability for citizens to advocate for and create
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social change is the primary way that Christians and non-Christians alike can show love to each

other. It allows them to affect fellow Americans across the country that they do not know, or that

they could not help prior to the change.

It also puts citizens in an easier position to obey Paul’s command to submit to governing

authorities in Romans 13:1-3. In this passage, Paul describes the role of government as “not a

terror to good conduct, but to bad” (13:3a). Although the governing officials across the world are

“instituted by God” (13:1), they are still subject to the consequences of the fall. This was clear in

the Jim Crow Laws, the Japanese Internment Camps. It can also be seen today as congress

proposes bills to protect abortion and gay marriage which are contrary to God’s design outlined

in Scripture. However, the shift to a more democratic system of government puts politicians and

other governing officials under the subject of the people. As society moves forward in its

approach to human rights, the government is open to the adjustments and American citizens can

have peace of mind that they have a hand in controlling major government decisions.

The next positive point in the light of Scripture is that shifting to a more democratic system

encourages the study of truth in the midst of conversations driven by the freedom of speech in

the first amendment. Despite the postmodern theory that there is no objective truth, the Bible

clearly states that it is the word of God and God’s words are “…pure words, like silver refined in

a furnace on the ground, purified seven times” (Ps. 12:6). God is the arbiter of truth and the basis

of all truth and wisdom. The testing of truths allows them to be “living truths” or truths that stand

against objection. This creates a healthy society where beliefs are based upon truth, and beliefs

can be challenged by the truth. “Dead truths” are truths that are simply accepted as truth and

cannot be challenged. Society today is filled with “death truths,” and therefore false beliefs, but

that is not the fault of the structure of government, rather factions.

In the end, the shift to the democratic system of government was an extremely positive

occurrence. It happened because of the needs of citizens in society throughout American History,

from the slums of New York to the Jim Crow Laws of the South. It happened through the hard

work of political activists, politicians and other elected officials, and civilian protests. Each and

every one in the face of opposition. The shift brought a voice to those who had none. It brought

homes, hospitals, and schools to communities in need. Most importantly, I believe, it brought the

beliefs of the American people into the light to be compared to the truth and reality of Scripture

and gave them responsibility for the actions of the government and therefore the state of their

society.
 Blaine Ritzler

Bibliography

ESV, Good News Publishers, 2016.

“Freedom's Ring ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech.” The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and

Education Institute, 14 May 2020, [Link]

have-dream-speech.

Kennedy, David M., and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. 16th ed., vol. 2, Wadsworth,

2019.

King, Martin Luther. Stride toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. BALLANTINE BOOKS,

1964.

Riis, Jacob A. How the Other Half Lives. CreateSpace, 2014.