Is American a republic or democracy?
Hear me out before you answer, I hear all the time people argue whether it is a reguvublic or democracy, but I've been trying to figure this out : If it is a democracy, why do we have this line in our pledge, "...And to the Republic, for which it stands...?"
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The words "republic" and "democracy" are neither mutually exclusive or irreconcilable. If they were, then the political party that was dominant in the United States during the early part of the Nineteenth Century - the Democratic-Republican Party - was calling itself something that was downright schizophrenic.
On the federal level, we are exclusively a republic. The voters of the nation never make any national laws, they only elect the lawmakers who do.
On the state level, there is a blend of democracy and republic, because the voters do make some state and local laws rather than leaving all lawmaking to the politicians. Of course, how much democracy there is in a state varies a lot from one state to another. Many states in the east, like New York, have very little lawmaking done at the ballot box via popular referendums, whereas in other states, like Missouri where I live, and California, the lawmaking done by voters in referendum is more frequent.
Besides all of that, because of the frequency with which the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes in issues that they shouldn't, we shouldn't really call ourselves either a democracy or a republic, but instead call ourselves a judicial oligarchy.
Constitutional Republic. Some call it a Representative Republic, but both terms are correct. Tho we have a democratic form of government, it is not a democracy. The framers knew democracies in the past failed, and wanted something different. So they set up a Republic, under the framework of "federalism". The difference being, in a pure democracy, majority always rules. The minority has no voice. Under federalism, not only does the minority have a voice, but government follows a "constitution", and is governed under a system of checks and balances. The constitution, if followed, (and it's not anymore), deters despotism, and keeps the tyrants in check.
In the Pledge of Allegiance we all pledge allegiance to our Republic, not to a democracy. "Republic" is the proper description of our government, not "democracy.
A republic and a democracy are identical in every aspect except one. In a republic the sovereignty is in each individual person. In a democracy the sovereignty is in the group.
Republic. That form of government in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in the people and are exercised by the people, either directly, or through representatives chosen by the people, to whom those powers are specially delegated.
Democracy. That form of government in which the sovereign power resides in and is exercised by the whole body of free citizens directly or indirectly through a system of representation, as distinguished from a monarchy, aristocracy, or oligarchy.
The distinction between our Republic and a democracy is not an idle one. It has great legal significance.
The Constitution guarantees to every state a Republican form of government (Art. 4, Sec. 4). No state may join the United States unless it is a Republic. Our Republic is one dedicated to "liberty and justice for all." Minority individual rights are the priority. The people have natural rights instead of civil rights. The people are protected by the Bill of Rights from the majority. One vote in a jury can stop all of the majority from depriving any one of the people of his rights; this would not be so if the United States were a democracy.
Its supposed to be a republic. Pure democracies end quickly in chaos.
The word Republic in the Pledge is not in reference to our form of government. However, our governmental structure is technically a Constitutional Republic.
Republic! Our apathetic society today is the reason so many people do not know this. We are losing our country because of an uneducated and ungrateful populace.
ben franklin was once asked what kind of govt did they form in 1776,, he replied it is a republic if you can keep it,,, well we couldn't keep it
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WE ARE A FEDERAL REPUBLIC