,,iv #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #eac ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #bc1 #bjai,mr4 ,raskin 7for himself and ,mr4 ,armstrong7 submitted the following resolution2 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 world4 ,whereas #b1jjj years after the ancient ,greeks laid the groundwork for democracy1 the founders of the ,united ,states built an even greater democratic system of government1 a democratic republic1 propelling the ,united ,states to become the world's most advanced ,nation in human history2 ,whereas the model of government set forth in the ,united ,states ,constitution has been reproduced around the world2 ,whereas the system of ,government of the ,united ,states1 the world's oldest constitutional democracy1 has made significant contributions to the a more free and stable world2 ,whereas the system of ,government of the ,united ,states1 the world's oldest constitutional democracy1 has made significant contributions to the a more free and stable world2 ,whereas according to ,freedom ,house1 despite the expansion of democracy worldwide1 today more than one in three people in the world do not live in ,states considered free2 ,whereas the ,constitution of the ,united ,states and the ,bill of ,rights1 with the addition of the ,reconstruction ,era amendments1 including the #adth1 #aeth1 and the #aith ,amendments1 enshrine the rights and civil liberties of citizens of the ,united ,states1 including the right to vote in free and fair elections and they have done so peacefully since the ,nation's founding2 ,whereas the perpetuation of democracy's ideals does not happen on its own1 and can be stalled or reversed2 ,whereas surveys show that citizens of the ,united ,states are losing faith in the democratic system2 ,whereas according to a study published in the ,journal of ,democracy-- 7#a7 #ia percent of young people in the ,united ,states1 in the #aicjs1 thought it essential to live in a democracy2 7#b7 only #cj percent of young people in the ,united ,states1 in #bjah1 think that it is essential to live in a democracy2 7#c7 #bd percent of young people in the ,united ,states1 in #bjah1 think democracy is a bad or very bad way of running the country2 7#d7 #ce percent think that army rule is a good way to run a government2 and 7#e7 a majority of those under #fj in the ,united ,states believe it is essential to live in a democracy2 ,whereas according to a study published by the ,higher ,education ,research ,institute at ,,ucla1 twice the percentage of college freshmen today 7compared to the #aifjs1 #aigjs1 and #aihjs7 support banning extreme speakers2 ,whereas according to a ,university of ,pennsylvania ,public ,policy ,center poll1 nearly one-third of all individuals in the ,united ,states cannot name a single branch of our ,government2 ,whereas the ,international ,democracy ,index recently labeled ,america as a flawed democracy1 ranked #bast among democratic nations2 ,whereas ,freedom ,house concluded ,democracy as the world's dominant form of government is under greater threat than at any point in the last #be years42 ,whereas ,president ,john ,adams warned that democracy never lasts long2 ,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 rights2 ,whereas ,president ,thomas ,jefferson wrote1 ,educate and inform the whole mass of the people ''' 4 ,they are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty42 ,whereas the contemporary ,oxford professor ,stein ,ringen observed1 ,democracy is not the default ''' it will disintegrate unless nurtured42 ,whereas former ,supreme ,court ,justice ,sandra ,day ,o',connor said1 ,the practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool4 ,it must be taught and learned anew by each generation of citizens42 ,whereas ,president ,john ,f4 ,kennedy said1 ,democracy is never a final achievement4 ,it is a call to effort1 to sacrifice1 and a willingness to live and die in its defense42 ,whereas ,president ,ronald ,reagan said1 ,democracy is worth dying for1 because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man42 ,whereas ,world ,war ,,ii demonstrated the fragility of democracy and its accompanying civilized life2 ,whereas ,british ,prime ,minister ,winston ,churchill's observed that ,democracy is the worst form of government1 except for all the others that have ever been tried42 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 life3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 recognizes the importance of reminding citizens of the ,united ,states of the vital importance of democracy2 7#b7 encourages officials of ,state and local governments to also recognize the importance of helping individuals in the ,united ,states understand the vital importance of democracy2 7#c7 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 regularity2 7#d7 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 ,states1 including giving their lives1 so that we might enjoy the freedoms that emanate from democracy2 and 7#e7 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 world4