Democracy is, perhaps, the greatest invention of ancient Greece. Its meaning — quite literally, power to the people — has become the mantra of just societies the world over. -Socrates
The Democrats and the Legacy Media talk about democracy, which bothers me no end. The United States is not a pure democracy. We are a republic. I bet you learned that in the 7th grade. Maybe you played hooky that day. Let me remind you of something.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic
for which it stands, one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.
There it is; republic, not democracy. Why didn't the Founding Fathers create a democracy? I will explain. The founders did not like democracies. The word "democracy" is not found in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence.
In a pure democracy, laws are made directly by the voting majority, leaving the rights of the minority largely unprotected. 1.
A simple illustration of a democracy is "two wolves and a sheep deciding what we are having for lunch." As you can see, in a democracy the majority rules and the minority is SOL or not represented. Majority rule can work in a small environment such as a schoolroom, a business, a civic group or club, but it fails when applied to a larger venue such as a state or federal legislature.
Democracy and republic are frequently used to mean the same thing: a government in which the people vote for their leaders. This was the important distinction at the time of the founding of the United States, in direct contrast with the rule of a king, or monarchy, in Great Britain. 2.
In a republic, laws are made by representatives chosen by the people and must comply with a constitution that protects the rights of the minority from the will of the majority. 3.
As you have seen many times, the minority when run properly can exert power and get some of its issues accomplished by negotiating with the majority and voting for legislation that benefits both parties. The parties may not get everything they want, but each side gets some of their issues.
You might say, "We have a democratic republic," not a democracy.
Resources
1. Longley, Robert. "Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference?" ThoughtCo, May 2, 2024, https://www.thoughtco.com/republic-vs-democracy-4169936
2. Staff writers for the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Democracy or Republic:
What's the difference?, Merriam Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam- webster.com/grammar/democracy-and-republic
3. Longley, Robert. "Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference?" ThoughtCo, May 2, 2024, https://www.thoughtco.com/republic-vs-democracy-4169936
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