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For some who have misstated that America is a Democracy.
The key difference between a democracy and a republic lies in the limits placed on government by the law, which has implications on minority rights. Both forms of government use a representational system where citizens vote to elect politicians to represent their interests and form the government. However, in a republic, a constitution or charter of rights protects certain inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government, even if it has been elected by a majority of voters. In a pure democracy, the majority is not restrained and can impose its will on the minority.
Constraints on the government:
Democracy - No; the majority can impose its will on the minority.
Republic -Yes; the majority cannot take away certain inalienable rights.
Definition:
Democracy - Is ruled by the omnipotent majority. In a Democracy, an individual, and any group of individuals composing any minority, have no protection against the unlimited power of the majority. It is a case of Majority-over-Man.
Republic - A constitutionally limited government, of the representative type, created by a written Constitution--adopted by the people and changeable by them only by its amendment--with its powers divided between three separate branches of government.
Sovereignty is held by:
Democracy - The whole population (as a group).
Republic - The people (individuals).
Common confusion in the USA:
Democracy - People commonly confuse direct democracy with representative democracy. The US officially has a representative style, though many have suggested the US is closer to an oligarchy or plutocracy.
Republic - The US is actually a Republic. It is governed by rule of law. The elected is supposed to be bound by oath to the written governing limits (ie constitution) yet vote "together" and create laws to address concerns of the represented in a democratic way.
The key difference between a democracy and a republic lies in the limits placed on government by the law, which has implications on minority rights. Both forms of government use a representational system where citizens vote to elect politicians to represent their interests and form the government. However, in a republic, a constitution or charter of rights protects certain inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government, even if it has been elected by a majority of voters. In a pure democracy, the majority is not restrained and can impose its will on the minority.
Constraints on the government:
Democracy - No; the majority can impose its will on the minority.
Republic -Yes; the majority cannot take away certain inalienable rights.
Definition:
Democracy - Is ruled by the omnipotent majority. In a Democracy, an individual, and any group of individuals composing any minority, have no protection against the unlimited power of the majority. It is a case of Majority-over-Man.
Republic - A constitutionally limited government, of the representative type, created by a written Constitution--adopted by the people and changeable by them only by its amendment--with its powers divided between three separate branches of government.
Sovereignty is held by:
Democracy - The whole population (as a group).
Republic - The people (individuals).
Common confusion in the USA:
Democracy - People commonly confuse direct democracy with representative democracy. The US officially has a representative style, though many have suggested the US is closer to an oligarchy or plutocracy.
Republic - The US is actually a Republic. It is governed by rule of law. The elected is supposed to be bound by oath to the written governing limits (ie constitution) yet vote "together" and create laws to address concerns of the represented in a democratic way.
Republic
Democracy
United States
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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The 17th amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America
It modified Article I, section 3, of the Constitution of the United States of America, usurping the U.S. Senatorial Election process from the state legislatures, which process was a bulwark against the Federal Government's expansion of power, and turned the election of Senators over to the masses, removing yet another check and balance against unlimited growth and power of the Federal Government.
Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment, Senators were chosen by state legislatures, which allowed much greater local control over the election process, thereby keeping the Senators linked to the best interest of the states. Sadly, with the 17th Amendment, Senators were given the incentive to increase their own power by bribing the uneducated of the electorate with their neighbors' tax dollars. This unwise change modified our Constitutional Republic to make it more like a Democracy, weakened the protections of the peoples' liberties in the process, and removed the Senate's check/balance against the Spending power of the House of Representatives.
Which brings up the point that technically, according to James Madison (Federalist No. 51, Wednesday, 06 February, 1788), we are a COMPOUND Constitutional Republic:
In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other; at the same time that each will be controlled by itself.
By the latter half of the 20th century, most public education resources had adopted the falsehood that America is a Democracy as if it were reality, and today, the very mention of the fact that we're a Constitutional Republic is met with scorn by those who know better, but don't want to admit it, as well as the well-intentioned, but misinformed, who have been misled by our public education system, and are resistant to new ideas.
It modified Article I, section 3, of the Constitution of the United States of America, usurping the U.S. Senatorial Election process from the state legislatures, which process was a bulwark against the Federal Government's expansion of power, and turned the election of Senators over to the masses, removing yet another check and balance against unlimited growth and power of the Federal Government.
Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment, Senators were chosen by state legislatures, which allowed much greater local control over the election process, thereby keeping the Senators linked to the best interest of the states. Sadly, with the 17th Amendment, Senators were given the incentive to increase their own power by bribing the uneducated of the electorate with their neighbors' tax dollars. This unwise change modified our Constitutional Republic to make it more like a Democracy, weakened the protections of the peoples' liberties in the process, and removed the Senate's check/balance against the Spending power of the House of Representatives.
Which brings up the point that technically, according to James Madison (Federalist No. 51, Wednesday, 06 February, 1788), we are a COMPOUND Constitutional Republic:
In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other; at the same time that each will be controlled by itself.
By the latter half of the 20th century, most public education resources had adopted the falsehood that America is a Democracy as if it were reality, and today, the very mention of the fact that we're a Constitutional Republic is met with scorn by those who know better, but don't want to admit it, as well as the well-intentioned, but misinformed, who have been misled by our public education system, and are resistant to new ideas.
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Cpl Chris Rice
This form of managing the Senate failed though, you have to realize the entire process required the agreement of the state legislature for the appointment of a Senator. You have instances where states would go years without being able to decide on a Senator. This would in turn create a situation where the State being a collection of people would receive no representation, or greatly diminished representation at least.
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We practice a form of democracy through the officials that We the People elect to office to "speak" on our behalf and in support of causes/issues that we hold dear, making us a republic more or less in the same vein as the Roman Republic of old. Up until the early '90s I believe that things worked out pretty well, but somewhere along the line officials were elected from BOTH parties that simple do not seem to have the capability or the desire to work together to solve the problems that face our nation. First the "religious right" had issues with the Clinton-Gore administration and lost their way from the victory they achieved in the '94 elections and squandered the "Contract With America" that swept the into office. Then during the Bush-Cheney administration, as the War in Iraq seemed to be going badly, the liberal left really went off the deep end on issues. Which leads us to the mess of the past 5+ years of the Obama-Biden administration and my gawd no one seems to know how to compromise on a damned thing anymore. We need to get back to where we once were, when the right and left, although totally different in their personal/political beliefs were able to work together in compromise to get things done. Of course in the past, we have had strong occupants of the White House who would bring the sides together and say "Look, we need to get off our asses and make things happen. We are the most awesome of nations on the face of the planet and we look foolish in the eyes of our friends and enemies when we can't even pass a budget to keep our government operating. Pull your heads out of rectal defilade, swallow your pride and get this worked out!" Maybe some day we will get back there, one can hope anyways!!
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I think the language spoken by the founders says it all...
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" - Benjamin Franklin
"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself." - John Adams
"Democracies have been found 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 death." - James Madison
"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure (and) which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." - Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." - Patrick Henry
"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world." - Daniel Webster
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" - Benjamin Franklin
"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself." - John Adams
"Democracies have been found 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 death." - James Madison
"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure (and) which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." - Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." - Patrick Henry
"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world." - Daniel Webster
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MAJ (Join to see)
You should be far more careful with quotes. 3 out of the 6 you give are fakes, two more are woefully out of context, and the last is irrelevant to the "democracy vs. republic" question.
Specifically:
-- Benjamin Franklin Quote: Fake
-- Patrick Henry Quote: Fake, and as someone who was OPPOSED to the Constitution, not even close to something he ever would have said.
-- Daniel Webster Quote: Fake, though pieces of it were cobbled loosely from 3 other places, but none of them mention "republic".
-- John Adams Quote: True, but out of context. The letter was discussing democracy as an alternative to aristocracy and monarchy (which he speaks even worse of), and makes no mention of republics in any form.
-- James Madison Quote: True, but out of context. From Federalist #10, he was discussing pure democracies in particular as opposed to other forms.
-- Charles Carroll Quote: True, but not relevant to "democracy vs republic." Also, while he signed the declaration, he was not involved in the creation of the Constitution, which would have has more bearing on the "form of government" question.
Specifically:
-- Benjamin Franklin Quote: Fake
-- Patrick Henry Quote: Fake, and as someone who was OPPOSED to the Constitution, not even close to something he ever would have said.
-- Daniel Webster Quote: Fake, though pieces of it were cobbled loosely from 3 other places, but none of them mention "republic".
-- John Adams Quote: True, but out of context. The letter was discussing democracy as an alternative to aristocracy and monarchy (which he speaks even worse of), and makes no mention of republics in any form.
-- James Madison Quote: True, but out of context. From Federalist #10, he was discussing pure democracies in particular as opposed to other forms.
-- Charles Carroll Quote: True, but not relevant to "democracy vs republic." Also, while he signed the declaration, he was not involved in the creation of the Constitution, which would have has more bearing on the "form of government" question.
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Cpl (Join to see)
Whether the ether has misattributed or "faked" quotes by founders, the facts are in. Democracy is incompatible with individual rights. The mob, majority, can take from the minority without recourse. A republic is rule by law where inalienable rights hold power over the mob. The Constitution is a limiting document for a reason. Laws are supposed to be difficult to pass. Changes can be made to the Constitution and the rules are written within in the document itself. Case law is not constitutional law. Case law is not without faction, pride, or prejudice.
Federalist #10; James Madison speaks of the factions or the parties of today that inherently result in turbulence and contention. "Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people."
I would hope that everyone prefers the liberty of a republic to the whim of the several single party/faction issues derived when a republic dissolves into democracy.
Federalist #10; James Madison speaks of the factions or the parties of today that inherently result in turbulence and contention. "Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people."
I would hope that everyone prefers the liberty of a republic to the whim of the several single party/faction issues derived when a republic dissolves into democracy.
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SCPO (Join to see)
Australia has neither a written constitution nor a bill of rights.It retains a monarch and therefore is not a republic. It is a representative democracy (specifically, a parliamentary one) - yet individuals seem to have pretty extensive rights there.
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SCPO (Join to see)
The quote from Federalist #10 about factions refers to the problems of factions in a [direct] democracy. Madison actually argued that the republican forms of government would successfully combat factionalism.
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