Political Freedoms are Best Appreciated in Countries where they do not Exist

Political freedoms are best appreciated in those countries where they do not exist.
Describe a specific situation in which political freedoms might be appreciated in a country where such freedoms do exist. Discuss what you think determines whether political freedoms are best appreciated in countries where such freedoms are denied or where they exist.
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Political freedoms form a central feature of a democratic nation. These freedoms include, among others, free and fair elections, the right to vote for representatives, and the ability to express discontent with leaders without reprisal. When a democratic nation undergoes a period of relative peace and economic boom, the citizens tend to take political freedoms for granted by not exercising their right to vote. On the other hand, difficult periods of a nation---such as, economic downfall and crises of overall morale---tend to bring out more political activists within the general community that demand change. Citizens of authoritarian countries tend to appreciate the political freedom when educated about democratic systems or being exposed to such ideas through word of mouth and other sources of information, such as the internet.

In the United States, citizens tend to appreciate political freedoms during periods of crisis and discontent. In 2008, voters went to the polls and overwhelmingly voted for a Democratic president. They expressed wide discontent for foreign policy decisions (i.e., Iraq war and handling of War on Terror) of the sitting 2 yr term Republican president and voted in the name of "change." During the apex of the economic crisis two years later, voters came out in huge numbers and placed a Republican majority in the house. They also exercised their political freedom of voting to demand "change." Indeed, disaffection within the American citizens with sitting representatives tend to result in more voter turnout.

With the help of the internet and social media, citizens of non-democratic nations start to demand the right to exercise political freedoms. They learn through word of mouth and internet news about the possibility of affecting change in a system that has failed to serve them. They then congregate with other disaffected citizens and start revolutionary movements, such as that which occurred in Egypt during early 2011. Perhaps people in non-democratic countries would not demand political freedoms if it were not for the internet and mass-forms of communication. Just like in democratic countries, citizens of authoritarian nations do not appreciate the idea of political freedoms until their government system no longer meets their personal and social needs.

People tend to exercise political freedoms when they are discontent with their current situation and seek change. Citizens of democratic countries attempt to affect change in the ballot polls and form movements to spread their ideas. Those of authoritarian governments learn how being granted political freedoms could be a way to ease their suffering and realize a better future for their people. Indeed, social media tools have played a huge part in educating people in both democratic and authoritarian nations to exercise or demand political freedoms.