Elmhurst University holds panel “Is Democracy Worth Saving?” ahead of election

On Sept. 28, Elmhurst University held “Is Democracy Worth Saving?” which was a panel focused on the discussion of the future of democracy.  

EU faculty members professor Timothy Hazen and professor Katrina Sifferd were joined in their discussion with Vicar Sayeedi, public intellectual and computer scientist. 

The consensus on this question was unanimous. Yes, democracy is worth saving, but why?

As the room filled with students in the Frick Center, the discussion of democracy in America began with the opinion of Sifferd, who holds a doctorate in philosophy. She stated that democracy is worth saving because the alternatives are much worse. 

She claimed that many Americans vote based on likeability rather than leadership, which has caused demagogues to prevail. In order to remain a democracy and not head towards a worse alternative, she left the audience with a call to action. 

“To save our democracy, we need to once again demand that our political candidates have the training and expertise necessary to lead us,” said Sifferd. 

Hazen followed by sharing a brief summary of a state of democracy and a state of authoritarianism. By doing so, he was able to give insight and examples of each and compare them on a global scale. 

He referenced the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine and explained that it shed light on the negatives of authoritarianism, which promises economic and social stability at the cost of some civil rights. 

Hazen also touched on the faults with our own democracy, but explained he believed it was worth saving. 

“Despite democracy’s flaws it has proven to be the best political system mankind has ever created at a large scale,” said Hazen. 

Sayeedi voiced his thoughts as well, sharing a similar opinion with his fellow panelists, that democracy remains the most successful ideology of governance ever seen. 

The panel concluded with a group discussion of democracy, prompted by questions asked by the audience.