2007-01-26 09:00:54 · 8 answers · asked by ? 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
The legal form of government in the United States is a Constitutional Federal Republic.
We commonly call ourself a democracy; however, a pure democracy would mean that the public would vote on EVERYTHING, from President to postage stamps to trash collection. We employ a representative democracy to achieve our ends, wherein we vote on representatives and empower them with our implied proxy to vote on issue within their prerogative. City Councils, School Boards, Legislatures, etc. are our representatives in whom we invest the power to vote our votes as if we personally voted on the issue at hand.
So (supported by the references below), we are a Constitutional Federal Republic and we employ a representative democracy form of government administration.
2007-01-26 09:25:09 · answer #1 · answered by View from a horse 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you mean 'in the US', then it is a republic (read the pledge of allegiance). A republic is a form of representative democracy. That is a system where the people elect representatives, and then their representatives meet to vote on laws. Republics have an elected President to head the government, whereas a kingdom has an unelected monarch (like the UK).
There are no democracies in the modern world. The last were the Greek and Roman empires. In a democracy, everyone is entitled to vote on every law.
2007-01-26 09:25:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you are mixing up two different concepts.
A democracy is a system where the people vote for whatever system they decide they want. It is independent of the type of structure the government has.
A republic is a government with a strong central government. For example, for a while after the US became independent the US had a confederation (the states cooperated in common ventures, but were "independent" in their actions). Later, the confederation was changed to a republic, where the central government was granted, in many areas, the power to act on behalf of the states.
But, with both structures the US was still a democracy. Still another example is the UK which has a parliamentary form of government --- another possible structure. But, the UK is still a democracy due to the fact that the structure was chosen by the people in a common vote.
2007-01-26 09:29:25 · answer #3 · answered by acablue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you mean the United States, we are both. Republic is a representative form of government which defines most federal, state and local governments. However, most states and localities have some measure of direct democracy such as ballet issues, school taxes, propositions etc., than can be voted on directly by the voting population.
2007-01-26 09:14:38 · answer #4 · answered by Jeffrey P 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually a democratic republic. it means we elect Representatives to represent us and they vote on things for us. A true democracy would mean that every law or rule would have to be voted on by the entire population
2007-01-26 09:13:50 · answer #5 · answered by me 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We live in a Republican Democracy or a Democratic Republic. We use both.
With Bush in change, we are living in a DICtatorship!
2007-01-26 09:13:49 · answer #6 · answered by one in ninety-nine 3 · 5⤊ 1⤋
The USA is a representative republic.
2007-01-26 09:14:15 · answer #7 · answered by Brenda P 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Republic
We vote on the politicians to run things for us, we don't run them ourselves as in a democracy. But the outcome is pretty much the same.
2007-01-26 09:12:08 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋