Most Americans share a similar political culture, including a belief that open and fair
elections are essential to maintaining a strong democracy in the United States.
Leading up to the 2016 presidential election, 16 government intelligence agencies independently investigated the security issues, and concluded that the Russian government engaged in the hacking of various elections related platforms, in an effort to interfere with the US election process. Read the following:
Joint Statement from the Department Of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security: “The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. Such activity is not new to Moscow—the Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia, for example, to influence public opinion there. We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities (October 7, 2016).”
Answer the following questions in analytical essay form:
1. How important is democracy in the United States?
a. In your essay identify and define the essential principles (elements) of the shared political
culture in the United States.
2. How important is it to you that a foreign country interfered in US elections?
a. Does it matter that the foreign interference originates in a country that does not share the same political culture as the US, or other Western democracies?
b. What would you expect to replace democracy in the US?
