what I wish my essay could start with...

In a time of war, the Romans would put the democratic system on hold by passing absolute power onto one individual. The Romans did so because they understood the cardinal flaw of democracy; it cannot react swiftly to crisis. Today, we are faced with the same reality. Democracy is so cumbersome when in action because all the measures taken to ensure that power is given to the people, and that all the voices of a nation are heard, end up stunting the ability of the country to take action. Imagine a small college boy who has to call his mother and consult regarding every decision he makes. This would ultimately lead to missed opportunities, and crushed hopes, and permanent virginity. In similar respects, countries such as the United States and Canada are forced into indecisiveness. However, it is also clear that different governments suffer different degrees of indecisiveness. To gain a clear idea of the pros and cons of different democratic systems, the electoral processes of Canada and the United States will be analyzed.