Is the Government fair? Throughout history there have been fair, democratic and notoriously, unjust governments. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins tells the story of a government that rules with such tyranny. Through an examination of both the Hunger Games government and the United States government similarities and differences, one is able to compare two very different societies.

The Hunger Games is a classic example of a tyrannical society. There are several reasons why the government of the Hunger Games can be viewed as unfair. One such reason is that they confine the people in a district by using an electric fence. Not only is this unjust; it is also a mechanism of control. The citizens are precluded from having any freedom of travel. Furthermore, the government in the Hunger Games does not have a fair trial system before the citizens are punished. If citizens of the capitol commit a crime, no matter how small, such as hunting they will be beat or whipped without protest. This corporal punishment is executed unfairly by government controlled peacemakers. While the government seems bad already it only gets worse because they decide how much money citizens can make. Even if the person runs an upscale store, they have a limited income. People born into certain classes of society are not allowed to rise above their caste. Overall the wanton Hunger Game government treats there people unfairly.

On the other hand the United States government is a good example of an equitable system of government, because the United States is a true democracy. Laws are decided for the people by the people. Just as the government in the Hunger Games has a police force, so too does the United States government. However the police forces in the United Sates are controlled by the local government and can be impeached. Also the United Sates dose not physically abuse law breakers, they put them in jail instead. Most importantly all criminals are considered innocent until proven guilty, and allowed to have a fair trial. The government does not try to control its citizens by using physical restraint. It allows people to travel freely. People of the United States are allowed to protest and voice their dislikes about the government without fear of punishment. There are no “hunger games” in the United States. Another key element of a democracy is that people are allowed to strive for the “American dream”; every citizen has a right to rise above their birth class. Such examples as these demonstrate why most societies venerate the governing system of the United States.

Is it possible for the United States government to keep a fair and democratic governing system? If not will we end up like the government in the Hunger Games, unfair and cruel?