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I love Democracy. Really. Has any other form of government allowed such control over policy to be held by "the people"? Sure, people like to criticize Democracy, but as Winston Churchill once said about it, "...it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those others that have been tried from time to time"

Whether the criticism is over hanging chads, the lack of a third party (in the United States) or the presence of too many "third parties" (in many parliamentary systems) what most criticism boils down to is "I don't get my way all the time"—which is a good thing! If one party or movement always got their way, our government would be little more than a dictatorship.

Time spent as the "loyal opposition" does a party good. It forces people to reexamine their ideas, their goals and their methods. Many parties and politicians have come back from defeat sadder but wiser. The voting public has a way of letting politicians know when they have gone too far—whether it be an attempt to socialize health care or increase taxes instead of spending more wisely.

Another election season is upon us. Starting with off-year elections in many states on Tuesday and climaxing with yet another vote for President a year from now the public will be bombarded with choices. I would like to go out on a limb and make a brave prediction: the winners will be elected.

Not such a brave prediction, eh? Well, consider this: in many countries the vote of the public is overruled by a small group of people who hold what little power the people have hostage to a self-interest that group of people holds. I'm sure that liberals are jumping up and down right now yelling "Bush v. Gore!". No, that was Democracy winning, not losing. What I am referring to is the situation in places like Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other countries where any nominal power held by the people is simply a token allowed by the people with real power who will overrule the people if they "decide incorrectly".

In those countries a small group of people, whether it is army generals or religious leaders, holds veto power over any vote of the people. As with any political choice, it is not a concern as long as the decision goes the way you would like. However, what this eventually leads to is greater and greater consolidation of power into the hands of a few people. Eventually it is far too easy for one person to usurp any remaining power held by the people. However, this is not to be confused with a system of checks and balances where (say) the judicial branch can counter the legislative branch. Such a system protects democracy by enforcing a balance and separation between the creation of law, the enforcement of law and the administration of law.

It is for this very reason that I urge each and every one of you to vote, whether you think your candidate will win or not. A vote for the candidate that most closely matches your views is never a wasted vote. Instead, those that win, or even lose, by a small margin look to those third parties for additional votes "next time". Indeed, we have seen a migration in political parties right here in the United States over time. As one party falls out of favor they adopt the views of smaller parties in order to restart growth in their own party.

It is this very process that stifles growth in autocratic institutions in the United States. With a "path to power" for almost any point of view, there is no reward for any group or movement that advocates the overthrow of the government. After all, eventually it can become "their government", "their army" and "their court system".

So please take the time to vote, not only this week, but in each and every election that comes your way. Your vote matters, your opinion matters and your participation matters...even if you do not "win". It is through participation that the process of democracy wins, no matter which candidate or party holds office. As long as we maintain our democracy, everyone eventually "wins", everyone eventually gets to try their policies and lead the nation.

It is easy to become cynical about the process with all of the advertising, dirty campaigning and controversy over how we record votes, but such conflicts are part of Democracy itself. And as Winston Churchill would remind us, Democracy, warts and all, is better than anything else that has been tried.

Time spent as the "loyal opposition" does a party good.

I would like to go out on a limb and make a brave prediction: the winners will be elected.

If one party or movement always got their way, our government would be little more than a dictatorship.

Democracy, warts and all, is better than anything else that has been tried.