A call for reform: Education’s role in strengthening democracy

This essay maintains that the ideal American democracy necessitates a fair, equitable, and just education system. This fair system would subsequently create an educated electorate to then select their representatives, vote on policy amendments or changes, and remain informed on issues that affect all aspects of life in this representative democracy. It pays special attention to the racial inequities that continue to exist due to an unjust taxation and funding system, corrupt political bodies, and the urban-suburban divide. Relying on the Founding Fathers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and contemporary sociologists and economists, this essay identifies key factors which continue to divide the American educational system. The essay contends that such inequities, political actions aimed at the elimination of content or curriculum, and the continued underfunding of American school systems puts the long-term viability of our democracy in peril.