Rumpole
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- Mar 20, 2023
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Because 'Democracy' is a descriptive term, often poetic. "Republic', meaning essentially the same thing, is used more on documents, declarations, legal statemints, etc. America is listed as one of the 50 western democracies. The government calls America a democracy. All of academia calls America a democracy. "republic" and 'democracy' are not mutually exclusive terms. They are used interchangeabley, I'm 73, and during my entire life, throughout my rearing in schools all the way through college, no one ever denied America was not a democracy. So, I must ask: Why do you guys in the right, suddenly, (with in the last decade or so) insist on this nonsense in the first place? I'll tell you,. because republicans have only one the majority for president once in the last 30 + years, and you can't handle that fact and you needed to make up this shit that America is not a democracy to feel good about yourselves. Well, wake the fuck up, because to any degree a nation is not a democracy, to that same degree it is a fascist country, totalitarian country, a country of the rule of men, instead of the rule of law.Don't want to take educated guesses? Why doesn't the word democracy appear in the Constitution nor Declaration of Independence?
Why wasn't the RIGHT TO VOTE in the BIll of rights?
America is a democracy. That's a descriptive term.Now, try making the EDUCATED GUESSES without using the race card or "IDENTITY POLITICS" card in any way.
Would you be certain that they didn't intend to have ignorant masses t be seduced by false promises where the republic would descend into a demogoguery like it has become?
Are the reparation checks on the way? Yes or no? Demogoguery.
Democracy - Representation, Equality, Participation
Democracy - Representation, Equality, Participation: Is democracy the most appropriate name for a large-scale representative system such as that of the early United States? At the end of the 18th century, the history of the terms whose literal meaning is “rule by the people”—democracy and...
www.britannica.com
Democracy or republic?
Is democracy the most appropriate name for a large-scale representative system such as that of the early United States? At the end of the 18th century, the history of the terms whose literal meaning is “rule by the people”—democracy and republic—left the answer unclear. Both terms had been applied to the assembly-based systems of Greece and Rome, though neither system assigned legislative powers to representatives elected by members of the dēmos. As noted above, even after Roman citizenship was expanded beyond the city itself and increasing numbers of citizens were prevented from participating in government by the time, expense, and hardship of travel to the city, the complex Roman system of assemblies was never replaced by a government of representatives—a parliament—elected by all Roman citizens. Venetians also called the government of their famous city a republic, though it was certainly not democratic.When the members of the United States Constitutional Convention met in 1787, terminology was still unsettled. Not only were democracy and republic used more or less interchangeably in the colonies, but no established term existed for a representative government “by the people.” At the same time, the British system was moving swiftly toward full-fledged parliamentary government. Had the framers of the United States Constitution met two generations later, when their understanding of the constitution of Britain would have been radically different, they might have concluded that the British system required only an expansion of the electorate to realize its full democratic potential. Thus, they might well have adopted a parliamentary form of government.
And
In short, for Madison, democracy meant direct democracy, and republic meant representative government. Even among his contemporaries, Madison’s refusal to apply the term democracy to representative governments, even those based on broad electorates, was aberrant.
[...]
At the Virginia ratifying convention some months later, John Marshall, the future chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, declared that the “Constitution provided for ‘a well regulated democracy’ where no king, or president, could undermine representative government.” The political party that he helped to organize and lead in cooperation with Thomas Jefferson, principal author of the Declaration of Independence and future third president of the United States, was named the Democratic-Republican Party; the party adopted its present name, the Democratic Party, in 1844.
Democracy is a broad term, both 'Democracy' and 'Republic' both have their broad meanings, and they have their narrow meanings. A democracy, as used by Madison, was the Athenian style direct democracy, but throughout millenia, it has a broader meaning. A democracy is a nation which has a number of qualities that comprise a democracy, some are, but not limited to:
- Free and Fair Elections: Regularly scheduled elections where all citizens have the right to vote without intimidation or coercion, and where multiple political parties have the opportunity to compete for power.
- Rule of Law: Laws apply equally to all individuals, with an independent judiciary to interpret and apply these laws impartially.
- Protection of Human Rights: Guarantees of fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and press, as well as the right to privacy and security.
- The Separation of Powers: A division of government into distinct branches (typically executive, legislative, and judicial) to prevent any single entity from gaining too much power.
- Majority Rule with Minority Rights: The decisions of the majority of people are respected, while the rights and opinions of the minority are also protected.
- Civil Liberties: Citizens have the freedom to express their opinions, form and join organizations, and protest peacefully without fear of retaliation.
- Political Plurality: Multiple political parties and ideologies are allowed to exist and compete for power, providing voters with choices.
- Transparent Governance: Government operations and decision-making processes are open and accessible to the public, ensuring accountability.
- Citizen Participation: Beyond voting, citizens are encouraged to participate actively in public life, including involvement in civic activities, public discussions, and government policy-making.
- Access to Information: Citizens have the right to access a wide range of information sources, including those critical of the government, to make informed decisions.
- Accountability of Elected Officials: Elected representatives are accountable to the people who elected them and can be removed from office for failing to fulfill their duties.
- Decentralization of Power: Distribution of power across different levels of government (federal, state, local) to better address local needs and prevent centralization of power.
Yes, a 'republic' has a narrow use, and a broad use. there are many types fo republics, a socialist republic, a calvinist republic, a democratic republic (a constitutional republic/representative democracy), etc. The term 'republic', essentially means a nation of either appointed or elected leaders, as opposed to a monarcy/aristocracy. As stated in the Encyclopedia Britannica, above, they are terms that are loosely used interchangeably. It's SEMANTICS.
But, if you say America is not a democracy, you'd be wrong, because though it isn't the kind of democracy Madison was afraid of, it is a democracy in the broadest sense of the term. Madison is not the final word on this, not by a long shot.
And, it is a republic.
Or, a 'constitutional republic'
Or a 'representative democracy',
Or a 'federalist constitutional representative republic'
Etc., or, ALL OF THE ABOVE, which IS the correct answer.