Is the United States a Republic or a Democracy?

1. 61

   SportsBetterposted 11 years ago

   Is the United States a Republic or a Democracy?
   
   So most people believe the United States is a Democracy.  The US was actually founded as a Republic.  Some of the founders had put much thought in what they wanted the country to be.  They knew that all of the previous democracies in the past had failed, and moved towards tyranny.  So they created a Republic with democratic processes.  Who can tell me the differences of a Republic and Democracy? Also, why have all Democracies failed in the past, and if true why did we switch from a Republic to a Democracy instead of listening to history?
   
   

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   thegeckoposted 11 years ago

   Wow, so my response grew so big it became a new Hub! o.O
   
   You can check it out...
   
   Is the United States a Republic or a Democracy?
   http://thegecko.hubpages.com/hub/republic-or-democracy

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   1. 87

      My Esotericposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You have the perfect answer in your hub, Gecko, so I will only expand a little.  1) The Continental Congress is what conservatives seem to want to replicate and 2) our democratic republic idea is actually historically based-on Greek and Roman ideas.

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   2. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Excuse me. The biggest influence to the early Americans was the Native American confederations. There was nothing like that in Europe. Let's keep it real and adopt more of their wise ways.

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3. 57

   WD Curry 111posted 11 years ago

   
   
   See? This is the kind of muddled garbage that floats around the internet. Everyone who makes it all the way to fifth grade knows how the government was established. We all know that it is a republic as well as a representative democracy. So, asking a question about whether it is a republic or a democracy is either too lame to believe or subversive.
   
   Now, folks in other countries may be confused, but it hardly matters. A true democracy is one person, one vote. Because of the disparity of population from region to region this would not be fair. Of course you know that, because you are Thomas Jefferson and you helped to reach a compromise. Go on down to Fox News and MSNBC to remind them how it works. In case you forgot . . . we work together.

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      Chris Hughposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hey, how do you get a picture to show up in your comment?

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   2. 87

      My Esotericposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have to agree with SB asking the question.  When 1/2 of America doesn't know who the current VP is, I suspect just as many don't know, or care, what a demcracy, republic, or representative democracy is; I think it is a legitamite question

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   3. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Submit comment, click edit comment, add photo option is above quarky, drupal box. I get my image from Yahoo before I submit (right click save image url) so it is ready. It is better to use your own image if you have one.

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   4. 61

      SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A Republic is representative government ruled by law(Constitution). A democracy is a government ruled by the majority (mob rule). A Republic recognizes the inalienable rights of individuals while democracies are only concerned with group needs.

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   5. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What? I thought you couldn't get good LSD anymore.

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   6. 61

      SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hey LD, sorry I didn't get my question approved by you, next time I'll run it by you first.

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   7. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A democracy is all about individual rights. This is a republic, because the elite of the day did not trust the common man of the day to make good decisions. From listening to you, they may have been right. Where are you really from?

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   8. 61

      SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You are absolutely wrong about that. In a democracy, 51% have power over the other 49%'s rights.  In a republic you can't take the rights away from anyone.

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   9. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      How do you figure? In a republic the ones in power can blow off the majority. Where have I heard this before . . . oh yeah . . . the "Peoples" Republic of China.

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   10. 61

       SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       So we agree there is a difference then?

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   11. 57

       WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       You are tripping. We have a constitution that guarantees the rights of the individual. This keeps the majority from disregarding the rights of the minority. We choose our reps by a democratic process. China used military - murdered opposition. No fun

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4. 0

   Chris Hughposted 11 years ago

   It's a democratic republic. Incidentally, you don't capitalize those words. "Republican" and "Democrat" are only captialized when they refer to members of those respective parties, because then they are proper nouns.
   
   As far as listening to history, when it comes to republics or democracies, the US is making history. Although it is one of the youngest countries in the world, it is the oldest republic or democracy in the world.
   
   I don't really understand the point of this question, and it is a question with a point, not an actual question. It probably belonged in the forums, although it did inspire a Hub, so perhaps I'm wrong there.

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   1. 87

      My Esotericposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I can never get the capitalization right, and it Pisses me of, lol.  I freely capitalize conservative, constitution, president and other such words sometimes properly and sometimes not and it upsets me that I don't remember when to and when not to.

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   2. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      touche'

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   3. 61

      SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry for the capitalization.  There are differences between a republic and democracy. Republic you have individual rights, where as in a democracy, the majority has rights. Democracies have always failed in the past. We can't be both at once.

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   4. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The last democracy was in ancient Greece. Hello? Is anybody home?

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   5. 0

      Chris Hughposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry, I sounded pretty pedantic there. A pure democracy would be a disaster. We need something (like our Bill of Rights) to protect individuals from the tyranny of the majority.  Have there been any pure democracies?

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      thegeckoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Have there been any pure forms of any type of government? o.O

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5. 91

   Rock_njposted 11 years ago

   A republic since the people of the United States elect people to represent them in government, rather than a true democracy in which everything the government does is put up for a vote by everyone (that would be interesting).

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   1. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Have you ever heard of a referendum? Many issues are put on local and state ballots for an up or down vote by the people. We worked hard to outlaw gill nets in Florida. It was one person, one vote for that issue.

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6. 59

   Brie Hoffmanposted 11 years ago

   Neither, anyone who thinks that we the people have any say in government anymore is living in la la land.  We were taken over by the banks in 1913 when the Federal Reserve was established.  It's been downhill ever since.

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   1. 61

      SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I completely agree, although our country has been fighting a central bank since our founding.

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   Rafickposted 11 years ago

   A republic can be a democracy. The question is not well framed despite the table above, which includes bias against republics.

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   1. 61

      SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A republic has democratic processes, but there are clear differences from a republic and a true democracy.

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   2. 57

      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So what?

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8. 84

   cprice75posted 11 years ago

   It is neither.  Your grid is off, as well.  Corporations and those with money are at the top of the US government.  The US is a plutocracy with a thin veneer of appearing as a democratic republic.

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   1. 0

      thegeckoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Have things really changed much then? The wealthy at the top ruling over the rest of us. Doesn't seem to matter which form of government we choose (or, they choose) =\

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   2. 61

      SportsBetterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      thegecko is right doesn't matter what form of government, there is always a top class and bottom class. We used to have a middle class in which people were able to live comfortably, but government inflated the money, and caused transfer a of wealth

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   3. 0

      thegeckoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Throughout history people in power end up failing. Those not in power overthrow them. Time passes. The once usurpers transform into incompetent leaders. They in turn become overthrown. Cycle continues.

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9. 61

   SportsBetterposted 11 years ago

   After all the feedback and answers provided, it motivated me to write my own hub on the subject.  Feel free to comment and argue your points.
   
   http://sportsbetter.hubpages.com/hub/Wh … -Democracy
   
   Enjoy!

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