Book excerpt: American Democracy is a system of government where the interests of people were represented by "elites" who are supposed to be the greatest, most educated, wisest, and moral men and women that society has to offer. For our democracy to survive, a majority of the ordinary people must feel and act upon the belief that was held by the early settlers of America that is that humanity has a moral destiny to develop its abilities not only for the betterment of the individual but also, for the alleviation of human misery throughout society. They must accept that this requires not only compassion but hard work and self-discipline. It needs to buttress the promotion of these qualities through government programs that, not only help the needy but hold people more accountable to one another. Lastly, for America's democracy to survive, we must appreciate how antithetical hard work, self-discipline, and compassion are to the much stronger instincts of the pursuit of power and pleasure and because of this how extraordinary and tenuous America's existence is. In this book, practical policies promoting these objectives in seventeen areas of American life are presented.