The United States: A Constitutional Republic

from JoeUser Forums

I’ve only been posting on the message board for several days but I’ve seen America called a democracy. I can stand it no longer; I simply cannot! Many Americans will most likely say something along the liens of, “What? Not a Democracy? Sure it is! That’s what we were always taught!” Well, the truth is democracy is only a nice sound byte. In fact, when “American Democracy” is typed into MSN Search 1,247,941 results appear. When “American Constitutional Republicanism” is typed 184,026 results appear. Democracy is also a comforting thought. “We elect the president!” people think. Actually, the people elect the electors who, in turn, elect the president via the Electoral College.
The idea of the Electoral College was woven into The Constitution as part of The System of Check and Balances. Which means, “Each branch of government checks upon one another so that no one branch gains too much power.” This already presents a problem for the democracy argument. In a democracy the people, not chosen representatives, rule. This means the 51% is the rule of law. Therefore a candidate in a presidential race could get 51% of the popular vote and still lose. Some people want to do away with this part of the constitution. What will happen to America if they succeed? The majority could easily suppress the minority which leads to Mob Rule.
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politics
5,334 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
A Constitutional Republic is, by definition, a type of government in which the people choose representative to represent the themselves while they (the very government itself and the citizens) are governed by laws in a constitution.
Whereas a Democracy is a form of government in which the people hold the ruling power.
Another argument to support the Constitutional Republican cause is the Pledge of Allegiance. Say The Pledge of Allegiance with me,

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of American, and to the Republic for
wh-” Stop! What was that? Republic! America is a Republic.

In article 4 of the Constitution all states are guaranteed a “Republican form of Government.”

Alexander Tyler wrote in 1770, six years before the birth of this nation that, "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (bounty, gifts, donations, generous giving, etc.) from the public treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by dictatorship.

Conclusion: From now on, if you read this article I hope you’ll call America a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Charles de Montesquieq wrote in his book The Spirit of the Laws that the greatest enemy to liberty is tyranny and that tyranny occurs when any single group controls all power in the government.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Ok officially the United States has a Representative Democracy or sometimes refered to as a republic or even a federal republic.  What you speak of where the people directly make political decisions is a direct democracy. 
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
There is a check on the people. A Representative Democracy does not have a check on the people. I've also heard America called a Republican Democracy. This, on the local and state level seems to be correct. Also, the Roman Republic was a Democratic Republic. It is more stable than a direct democracy, but it's subject to the same weaknesses (the 51% still controls) The United States has been moving toward a republican democracy since the early 1900s. However history has shown that either type of democracies seem to lead to dictatorships, tyranny, and anarchy. I think America is going down a bad road.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Semantics.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Evan:
How about we say it is a Republic that employs democratic voting principles for those people 18 (Someplaces 19) and older? You seem to have a bit of angst over this.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
"All too often, the Congress thinks there is no end to the good they can do with your money and their brains. It is time for us to put an end to this misguided belief. The Founding Father's vision was for a constitutional republic where the will of the people would be imposed on Washington, not the views of Washington imposed on the people."
John Ashcroft

Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Also, the Electoral College seems to be only a formality these days. Many people don't even know what it is. Before there were political parties it seems (at least to me) to have been a better idea. But since there are party lines it no longer seems to have it's original reason for being.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
When most people are speaking of America or any other nation being a democracy they are not speaking as if they are in a political science class. Anyone who has any political or sociological education at all knows they are't true democracies. A true democracy, like a true communist state, can't function in the real world for practical reasons. At least, not on a large scale.

But these people aren't in a political science class, they are speaking in general terms. Democracy simply meaning a country where leadership is elected by a vote, as opposed to a socialist government or dictatorship where there are no elections held. While this is not a strictly correct term by definition, it does well enough for the types of discussions being held. I really don't think this sort of nit-picking serves any real purpose as most people in these discussions aren't political science majors, nor are they writing the constitutions of any nations. The issues and topics of discussion are the focus, not political science definitions.

But, we do appreciate your attempt to educate us poor, ignorant peasants.