ABSTRACT
The United States is a democracy where citizens are diverse yet equal and have the Constitutional right to participate directly or through elected representatives in deliberative government bodies established to formulate and implement policies, laws, and initiatives for the mutual benefit of individuals and their communities. This convoluted political ideal and its derivatives are communicated across the country and throughout the world as if they were accurate descriptions of matter-offact reality. But close scrutiny of American political arenas may uncover realities that are decidedly undemocratic. One of the most enduring educational missions of public high schools is to ensure that democracy gets realized as a matter of fact. But whether this occurs depends on how political crosscurrents are negotiated within classrooms and corridors.
