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0 pointsKerryJones10y ago0 comments

Exactly -- because the US isn't a democracy (majority rule), it's a democratic republic.

0 comments

It's not a direct democracy. That didn't mean it's not a democracy.

If you redefine democracy to be the narrowest possible interpretation, you eliminate every government in the world. You also make the word pretty much useless.

jMyles10y ago

It might be fair, though, to exclude governments whose founding documents and the position papers written to advance them expressly eschew and prohibit democratic rule, in favor of a limited and enumerated republic.

There are some governments who claim authority to take any action authorized by the democratic process. The US government is not among them. Ergo, it is not properly classified as a "democracy."

Thrymr10y ago

You're defining "democracy" more narrowly than is reasonable. The 2nd definition at Merriam-Webster, for example [0], is "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections". "Republic" and "democracy" are not mutually exclusive.

[0] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy

2 more replies

ArkyBeagle10y ago

Democracy is a term which refers to both republics and plebiscites. The word you are looking for is "plebescite". Plebescite is widely believed to have been problematic in ancient Greece, which is why it's relatively rare.

EdHominem10y ago

Yes, though you must consider that if your representative isn't bound to vote to represent you (even in general) the word is pretty watered down already.

tjgq10y ago

Is that a distinction worth making? By that standard, how many countries in the world are actually democracies?

studentrob10y ago

Absolutely it is. Google the difference. A democratic republic ultimately derives power from the people. There are more checks and balances in place in America than one person one vote. More info [1]

[1] http://www.thisnation.com/question/011.html

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