2008-Nov-28 07:24 UTC
Democracy vs Republic
There exists a great misconception as to what type of government the United States was built upon; What our founding fathers so carefully intended for us.

You would not be surprised if an average person off the street were to answer "Democratic" in response to the question "What type of government does the United States have?"

Most would be surprised to know that is incorrect. The document that is the supreme law of the land in the United States of America is the Constitution for the United States. This document does not once mention the word Democracy in its text. The type of government the founding fathers crafted for us is a Republic!

As an example, recall the words one speaks when pledging his (or her) allegiance to the flag of the United States: "I pledge allegiance to the flag and the Republic for which it stands."

So, what is the difference between a Democracy and a Republic one wonders? Here is a great document that explains it very clearly: "Democracy or Republic, which is it?" by Benedict D. LaRosa.

I leave you with a few quotes on the topic, which you'll also find in referenced document.

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

As a rule, tyranny arises from democracy.
-- Plato in Plato's REPUBLIC

A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of Government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess of the public treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that Democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy, always to be followed by a Dictatorship.
-- Professor Alexander Fraser Tyler
... sidster
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