A democracy is a system of government where the citizenry has the ability to govern themselves.
A republic is a system of government where an elite group governs in the name of the People.
This seems to be what is happening today in America. An elite group of people have made governing not just their priveledge but their careers. Is it true then, that we have a democracy when the Electoral College is still in effect and a popular vote can be overturned by the Supreme Court?
2007-06-26 04:50:59 · 12 answers · asked by LoneRanger 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
We vote for people who decide the issues (those are the "elite") in this case.
In a democracy, the people would have to vote on each individual issue. Like propositions on ballots.
2007-06-26 10:50:07 · answer #1 · answered by Scott L 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
America is a republic, as well as a democracy. Always has been, though. Your description of a republic is innaccurate. What you are describing is an oligarchy. A republic is merely a government whereby the populace elects people to represent them in the government. It can co-exist with democracy, which actually holds many different definitions. Choose the right definition, and you can have both. If you want to argue that an elite group controls everything, then that is fine. But that does not make us a republic or not a republic, and the truth is that this idea has pretty much existed throughout our history, too. So it is unclear what your point is.
2007-06-26 05:03:03 · answer #2 · answered by Mr. Taco 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the elections should be decided by the popular vote, not by some convoluted electoral system that's based on population demographics. It's true that politicians make a career out of public office. If they sincerely had the well being of their constituents in mind they would serve office for free. The pledge of allegiance wouldn't sound right if Republic were replaced by Democracy. In order to make the country work to it's optimum lobbyist need to be done a way with as well. Elected officials are more concerned with legislature that lobbyist are supporting, than that of the people they serve. There are a lot of other problems with the political system in this country. I could go on, but hopefully my point has been made.
2007-06-26 12:58:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My guess is that the Pledge of Allegiance uses those words because we live in a Republic, not a Democracy. In fact, you'll be hard-pressed to find any country with a real Democracy. If you do, they will be fragmented and dysfunctional.
And I have to wonder when 1) you guys come to the realization that the 2000 election is over and 2) that the 2000 election was a very nice example of just how stable our system of government actually is.
2007-06-26 05:00:27 · answer #4 · answered by thegubmint 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The US Constitution defines the country as a Republic. Article 4, section 4 states that "the United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a Republican form of government..."
A republic is a system in which the voters elect lawmakers who meet to decide govt policies. Initially, America was governed by elites; white males who owned property. Now voting is guaranteed to every citizen 18 years and older.
Democracy in its purest form is a system in which the voters directly decide policies. I think this is a faulty system for two reasons:
1. Decisions would be made more hastily without time for debate. The representative process is slow, requires negotiating and compromise, when tends to produce better enforceable laws.
2. A representative system guarantees a separation of powers between the makers of the law (Congress), the enforcer of the law (President) and a body that reviews the law when it may violate the Constitution.
I've stated my case. If you think the people that govern our country are elites, then I suggest you get involved in a political campaign as a volunteer and educate yourself about the system, maybe you'll have a different perspective.
2007-06-26 05:17:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are a democratic republic. There are aspects of our government given to us in the Constitution that are very democratic, others that resemble institutions found in the Roman Republic that rule in the name of the people but which don't consult the people.
The Framers of the Constitution considered this mixture to be a Good Thing. They thought too much democracy would make governance too unstable as in the ancient democracies of the Greek city-states.
By the way, libertarians like to call America a republic not a democracy, because they think democracies lead inevitably to socialism.
But Americans have a good reason to confuse the two terms, since we're both.
2007-06-26 04:58:56 · answer #6 · answered by SallyJM 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We are both a democracy and a republic. At the time of early artifacts that reference our country as a republic, the word democracy only refered to direct democracy (which we aren't, and never were). But over time, the meaning of democracy has broadened, and we now fit it's current definition.
2007-06-26 04:54:04 · answer #7 · answered by firstythirsty 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Beacuse we live in a republic, not a democracy. Most people don't seem to realize that. In classical terms, we live in a republic. We elect(?) an elite class to make our decisions for us. That would be a republic, as you pointed out.
2007-06-26 05:00:11 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your definitions are a little off. We live in a Democratic Republic, where the people each get a vote to elect a Representative to send to the government, to represent their interests and concerns. When that Representative fails to represent his constituency, he can be voted out by the same in the next election.
2007-06-26 04:56:19 · answer #9 · answered by booman17 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are a democratic-republic. That means we elect the officials who make the laws. The pledge is correct in saying we are a republic.
2007-06-26 04:53:18 · answer #10 · answered by civil_av8r 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋