Thread: America is NOT a democracy

Ok, I've been going back through all of the old forum posts where people constantly refer to America as a democracy. Well, I'm going to set the record straight. America is a Republic, not a Democracy. Hopefully this will help to make our debates in the forums a little more informed. In order to do this, I feel that the most effective way to communicate that thought-earth shattering as it may be to some of you-is to quote someone else. The following is a quote from ex-US House Representative David Barton's book "Original Intent" (note: he is from Texas, thought that would make some of you happy):
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"A second question useful for judging a public policy is, "Is this act consistent with our form of government?"

This is a simple question, yet the answer may often be in error since many citizens today have been misled about our form of government. We have grown accustomed to hearing that we are a democracy; such was never the intent. The form of government entrusted to us by our Founders was a republic, not a democracy.

Our Founders had an opportunity to establish a democracy in America and chose not to. In fact, the Founder made clear that we were not--and never were to become--a democracy:

Originally Posted by James Madison

Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.

Originally Posted by John Adams

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

Originally Posted by Fisher James, Author of the House language for the First Amendment

A democracy is a volcano which conceals the fiery materials of its own destruction. These will produce an eruption and carry desolation in their way. The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness [excessive license] which the ambitious call, and ignorant believe to be liberty.

Originally Posted by Gouverneur Morris, Signer and penman of the Constitution

We have seen the tumult of democracy to terminate...as [it has] everywhere terminated, in despotism....Democracy! savage and wild. Thou who wouldst bring down the virtuous and wise to thy level of folly and guilt.

Originally Posted by John Quincy Adams

The experience of all former ages had shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating and short-lived.

Originally Posted by Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declartion of Independence

A simple democracy...is one of the greatest evils.

Originally Posted by Noah Webster

In democracy...there are commonly tumults and disorders...Therefore a pure democracy is generally a very bad government. It is often the most tyrannical government on earth.

Originally Posted by John Witherspoon, Signer of the Declaration

Pure democracy cannot subsist long nor be carried far into departments of state-it is very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage.

Originally Posted by Zephaniah Swift, Author of America's first legal text

It may generally be remarked that the more government resembles a pure democracy the more they abound with disorder and confusion.

Many Americans today seem to be unable to define the difference between the two, but there is a difference-a big difference. That difference rests in the source of authority.
A pure democracy operates by direct majority vote of the people. When an issue is to be decided, the entire population votes on it, the majority wins and rules. A republic differs in that the general population elects representatives who then pass laws to govern the nation. A democracy is rule by majority feeling (what the Founders described as "mobocracy"); a republic is rule by law.

[text ommitted, dealing with source of law for American republic, if wanted, PM me and I will include]

A republic is the highest form of government devised by man, but it also requires the greatest amount of human care and maintenance. If neglected, it can deteriorate into a variety of lesser forms, including a democracy (a government conducted by popular feeling); anarchy (a system in which each person determines his own rules and standards), aligarchy (a government run by a small council or a group of elite individuals); or dictatorship (a government run by a single individual). As John Adams explained:

Originally Posted by John Adams

Democracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit, and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable [abominable] cruelty of one or a very few.

Understanding the foundation of the American republic is a vital key toward protecting it. Therefore in analyzing public policy, remember to ask, "Is this act consistent with our form of government?" and support or oppose the policy on that basis."
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Hopefully you guys read all that, somewhat understand it, and will be able to research more. In case you couldn't understand what he said, here is the condensed version: America was never meant to be a democracy. The Founding Fathers knew a democracy wouldn't work, so the made America a Republic. A Republic is a government run by elected officials who follow set laws, while a Democracy is a government run by whatever opinion or idea more people support.

Originally Posted by Mcstrange

semantics wins you nothing. For all modern purposes the word 'democracy' and the current american governmental system are synonymous.

You can say 'republic' all you want, most folks wont even know what your talking about.

Explaining that distinction is still informative to most, though.

Originally Posted by Cybs

Which in itself is an oxymoron.

Um, no, it's not... The Soviet Union had a communist government; it had a leadership body which was based in Marxist Socialist ideas, I.E. Communism. Therefore, by simple definition, it was a Communist Government. Communism is not anarchy.

In those quotes, I think they are referring to a "pure" or direct democracy, similar to the system in ancient Greece (? I'm a bit rusty on my history). By modern terms/definitions at least, America has a form of liberal democracy. The definition of this is similar to the definition of a republic, but they aren't exactly the same, if I remember correctly. Granted, I'm really rusty on all this stuff, and I'd have to dig up old notes to be any more specific.

If we want to be really specific, then...

America is actually a Constitution-based federal republic with strong democratic traditions. That is the official type of government of the USA.

And as for communism, Communism is mostly a type of economy as Marx believed a communist society would have no need for a government. Thus the government the Soviet Union had was not a true communist regime.