The form of government entrusted to us by our Founders was a republic, not a democracy. In a republic, laws are made by representatives chosen by the people and must comply with a constitution that specifically protects the rights of the minority from the will of the majority. There’s a reason why the American founders created a republic, and not a democracy. Is democracy the most appropriate name for a large-scale representative system such as that of the early United States? The main difference between a democracy and a republic is the extent to which the people control the process of making laws under each form of government. It seems that what is overlooked by this distinction is that in anything less than a demos-rule [or a democracy] voice is restricted to only one, a few or the many over individual. 8 Better Ways To Give Praise Instead Of Saying “Good Job”, “Pup-ular” Words To Use During The Doggone Puppy Bowl. Typically through a constitution, democracies limit the powers of their top rulers, such as the President of the United States, set up a system of separation of powers and responsibilities between branches of the government, and protect the natural rights and civil liberties of the people. The term republic can also be attached to not only democratic countries but also to oligarchies, aristocracies, and monarchies in which the head of state is not determined by heredity. "Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference?" A republic implicitly contains the element that we would call democracy, but it is understood that the US is a representative democracy, in which the people choose representatives who in turn decide the issues of the day in competition with other branches of the government and in accordance with the law. Derived from the Latin phrase res publica, meaning “the public thing,” a republic is a form of government in which the social and political affairs of the country are considered a “public matter,” with representatives of the citizen body holding the power to rule. In the United States, the Constitution assigns this function to the U.S. Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. Instead, it is a hybrid democratic republic. Longley, Robert. Difference Between Representative Democracy vs Republic Etymology gives details about how Representative Democracy and Republic as phrases or words originated and from which languages. Whereas the republic mostly concentrates on the constitution of the place. Democracy is defined as a political system which is made by/of/for the people. How does a democracy and a republic compare to other forms of government such as a monarchy, an oligarchy or a dictatorship? Put another way: a republic is the system of government that allows a country to be democratic! Republic has originated in 6th century BC whereas Direct Democracy took roots in 5th century BC. Today, some U.S. states empower their citizens to make state laws through a form of direct democracy known as the ballot initiative. Should the U.S. Census Count Undocumented Immigrants? The Republic of Venice, a mercantile city-state of the Middle Ages, was led by a doge who was elected by wealthy merchants and served until his death. In both cases, the majority rule, but in a republic What Is The Origin Of The Republican Party? We have grown accustomed to hearing that we are a democracy; such was never the intent. A democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority. Many referendums are voted on this way, such as the Scottish independence (from the United Kingdom) referendum in 2014 and the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum (popularly referred to as Brexit) in 2016. Today, it is inefficient, if not impossible, to have every eligible citizen vote on every issue—to vote on every piece of legislation that it takes to run a city, a state, a country. What you should take away in the confusion (or debate) over democracy vs. republic is that, in both forms of government, power ultimately lies with the people who are able to vote. For nearly 500 years, ancient Rome was a republic before it became ruled by emperors. Founding Father Article: Despite clear historical evidence showing that the United States was established as a republic and not a democracy, there is still confusion regarding the difference between these two very different systems of government. Some confusion stems because the word “democracy†is used to describe both a Get Help Now! Had the Constitutional Convention been held two generations later, the framers of the U.S. Constitution, having been able to read the new constitution of Britain, might have decided that the British system with an expanded electoral system might allow America to meet its full potential for democracy. The difference between Democracy and Republic is their system structures. The US can be called a federal presidential constitutional republic or a constitutional federal representative democracy. Exercise that right to vote, whether by mail or in person. By TFPP Writer Published June 8, 2016 at 8:39am Share on Facebook (753) Tweet Share Share Email. If you want or need to be more precise in referring to the system of the US, you can accurately call it a representative democracy. Democratic republics function differently with some being purely presidential while others functioning as parliamentary systems. The word democracy dates back in English to around 1525–1535. Founding Father James Madison may have best described the difference between a democracy and a republic: The fact that the Founders intended that the United States should function as a representative democracy, rather than a pure democracy is illustrated in Alexander Hamilton’s letter of May 19, 1777, to Gouverneur Morris. But that’s a false dichotomy. “A democracy is as really a republic as an oak a tree or a temple a building” – John Adams (2nd US President). We don’t blame you for confusing these two terms. Emails. Some of these differences and similarities are more visible than others, but nevertheless every opposing political movement has to have both similarities and differences. But this democracy vs. republic argument thing has suddenly become a topic of importance, at least judging from the number of people throwing it around these days. SUMMARY In the Pledge of Allegiance we all pledge allegiance to our Republic, not to a democracy. It comes from the Greek dēmokratía, meaning “popular government.” Ancient Greece was home to what most consider to be the oldest form of democracy, the city-state of Athens. 1 Our Founders had an opportunity to establish a democracy in America and chose not to. If you are eligible to vote—vote. Difference Between Representative Democracy vs Republic Etymology. The people elect representatives to make laws according to the constraints of a constitution. Definition and Examples, What Is Parens Patriae? It’s what, well, makes true democracies and republics. https://www.thoughtco.com/republic-vs-democracy-4169936 (accessed February 5, 2021). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/republic-vs-democracy-4169936. Democracy or republic? Pure Democracy: How the U.S. Election Process Has Changed “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Its citizens vote (or “vote”) on a single candidate. Conversely, in the republic, representatives are selected to make decisions. While the Roman Republic’s constitution was mostly unwritten and enforced by custom, it outlined a system of checks and balances between the different branches of government. In the U.S., senators and representatives are the elected lawmakers, the president is the elected executive, and the Constitution is the official charter. Constitutional Republic vs. In Athens, the people (Greek, dêmos) held the power (Greek, krátos) and made the decisions for their society—forming a dēmokratía. In everyday speech and writing, you can safely refer to the US as a democracy or a republic. For example, if a town only had enough funding to repair either their sewer system or roads, it might ask the citizens to vote on which one should get the money. A historical example of a republic is also instructive. In this sense, republics like the United States function as “representative democracies.”. Republics are the best form of government for protecting the individual from the tyranny of the majority. It should. Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference? U.S. President Abraham Lincoln may have offered the best definition of democracy as being “…a government of the people, by the people, for the people…” in his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. I often hear people argue that the United States is a republic, not a democracy. And should you need to be exacting? The word republic is first recorded in English 1595–1605. In a pure democracy, all citizens who are eligible to vote take an equal part in the process of making laws that govern them. In a republic, the people elect representatives to make the laws and an executive to enforce those laws. REPUBLIC vs. DEMOCRACY. The United States, like most modern nations, is neither a pure republic nor a pure democracy. In contrast to a direct democracy, the people in a representative democracy elect representatives who act then on behalf of them, known as their constituents. The fate of a nation rests in the hands of its rulers, or as we know it today, “the government”. In a democracy, the rule of majority people prevails whereas in the case of … And it’s time for … A voting majority has almost unlimited power to make laws. 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