Based on the film’s premise, I expected to see no similarities between the democracy of the United States and the democracy of a Chinese third-grade classroom. The U.S.’s government has theoretically had years to mature and perfect itself, and the third-graders had just learned what a democracy a few days before the election. But I was quickly surprised to find commonalities everywhere. Both had all the key foundations of what a democracy needs to prosper: available political information, multiple candidates, and the ability to vote freely. But the similarities went beyond these basic foundations.<\/p>\n
The candidates attempted to sabotage their opponents’ campaigns and even had their own forms of campaign advisors – their parents. In the end, the parents’ availability to resources decided the election. Just like in American elections, access to funds is crucial to running a successful campaign. Xiaofei had only a single mother who even acknowledged early in the film that she could not help her daughter as much as the other candidates. So she was immediately at a disadvantage. Cheng Cheng and Luo Lei both had two parents, but Luo Lei’s parents had access to resources that allowed him beat Cheng Cheng and win the election. Just like in the U.S., elections are all about funds and popularity.\u00a0So based on the premise that the United States is a democracy, yes. The film portrays a working democracy. Both had the same fundamental flaws, suggesting an innate problem with democracy itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Based on the film’s premise, I expected to see no similarities between the democracy of the United States and the democracy of a Chinese third-grade classroom. The U.S.’s government has theoretically had years to mature and perfect itself, and the … Continue reading