By definition is the United States of America a Democracy or a Republic in reality? i.e. " I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands...
2007-08-28 14:27:24 · 3 answers · asked by mark_hensley@sbcglobal.net 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
The U.S. is a representative republic. Our representatives are democratically elected (one person, one vote). A representative republic has ground rules. Our Constitution for instance. A pure democracy doesn't use representatives. Every question that comes up, everyone gets to vote on regardless of how ignorant they are on the subject. Supposedly our representatives are informed. For instance, in a pure democracy someone could say "I think the Internet is a bad thing and I want it banned in the U.S." It would then come up for a vote and if it got more votes than those supporting the Internet, then it would be banned in the U.S.
Someone once asked "Has there ever been a time in history when the majority was right?" Good question, but one that must be considered if you are for a democracy instead of a republic.
2007-08-28 14:42:58 · answer #1 · answered by Dick F 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Both.
A democracy is where the people (citizens) have the final political say, because they vote.
A republic is where representatives exist who make the legal decisions and carry out the govt policies.
The US is a democratic republic -- we vote (democratically) in order to elect our representatives (as a republic).
It is possible to have a pure (polyarchal) democracy, where all decisions are made directly by vote, without any elected representatives as middle-men.
And it is possible to have a republic where representatives are chosen by some other means -- by money, or property ownership, or selected by a monarch -- without those representatives being elected by the citizens.
2007-08-28 14:45:28 · answer #2 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Replublicans are in it for the money and Democrats are in it for the jobs.
each uses its own form of curency to elevate themselves and the party.
Sorry, I misread the question.
We are not a Democracy, we are more of a republic. spare me the neg.
2007-08-28 14:41:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋