Difference Between Democracy And Democracy

The Founding Fathers wanted our government to be a republic because the people wanted their opinion to be heard in the laws that were made and the taxes that were being set. The people wanted to have a decision in what happens to their country. When the government is a republic the people have a say in people that represent them, but there are still laws and there is still rules to stand by. The people are still free and still have restrictions, but there are people to protect you such as police

The word democracy comes from two Greek words: demos, meaning "the people," and kratein, meaning "to rule." These two words are joined together to form a democracy, literally meaning "rule by the people". Nowadays democracy could be referred as a rule of the majority. It is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or choose delegates from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament. The Greek system of government was maybe more like a true democracy or administered by the general population than any other ever. On the other hand, most American politicians with mindfulness and knowledge have realized that the U.S. is not a Democracy as a country, regardless of the way that most people declare it to be a Democracy. Greek and American democracy have some similarities such as the amount of nationalism and patriotism saw in the people when a lack of representation for a city-state or nation as a whole is seen, and they both vote for their political leaders.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America...and to the republic for which it stands...one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.” (“Is the United States a Democracy?”) The United States’ pledge is taught to children of all ages, plays an active role in the patriotism of the people, and it symbolizes the citizen’s promise to never violate the Republic of the United States of America. The founding fathers built the foundation of America on their ideological belief that the country should be a republic and that all mankind are created equally. However, over the years, America has gained the title as a democratic nation and the status quo of America being considered “the majority rule.” The present state of affairs of the American government proves to be incorrect because the United States is not a democracy. The United States has limited citizens to participate equally on various occasions, due to the emphasis the government has placed on non-democratic practices, inconsistencies, and discrimination regarding race, gender, and ethnicity.

When the United States (or any other nation) is referred to as a “democratic republic” we then know two things about that nation’s system of government. First, the term “democratic” tells us that the citizens of a nation rule its government and that those citizens are afforded certain rights. These rights include the right of speech, free press, free elections, and religious freedom. Secondly, the term “republic” refers to the process of a nation’s citizens voting in/electing their own representatives. So, when someone describes the United States as a “democratic republic” they are simply stating that we the citizens rule our government, that we have certain rights, and that we choose our representatives. An example that demonstrates that the U.S. is a democratic government is our Constitution. Our constitution helps to limit the power of the government and keep the power in the hands of the people, therefore making us democratic. While an example illustrating that the U.S. is a republic is Election Day where we elect our president.

There is a fundamental difference between a democracy and a republic as it concerned the political entitlement of the citizenry. The citizens of a republic do not participate directly with governmental affairs. The citizens of a republic can however have a say in who does participate. The Roman republic has two prefect systems to prevent dictatorship which didn’t work.

“We’re a Democracy”, by William P. Meyers, states that we have become a democracy overtime but we are also still a hint of a republic as well. People who are so against democracy only see democracy as a direct democracy. But in reality, there’s also the representative democracy, which is quite similar to a republic. Over the years, with the help of all the amendment changes the U.S. has moved greatly towards a democracy. I actually agree with Meyers, both of these forms of government choose representatives to speak on their behalf, so whose to say we don’t actually have a democracy.

There is no doubt that the United States of America is a democracy, but how democratic are some of the components of our system of government? For example, the Electoral College is used when selecting the president of The United States, but the founders developed the Electoral College based on a theory of how it should work with no practical, real-world example of how it realistically works. Based on the three core principles of democracy which are popular sovereignty, political equality, and political freedom, the Electoral College falls short when assessed using these democratic values.

It’s hard to define something big as democracy in few short words, but president Abraham Lincoln does it best by defining democracy as a “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” (Bleicherstrasse). The Merriam Webster Dictionary barely scratches the surface of what democracy really means. It tries to define democracy as “a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting, a country ruled by democracy, an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights”, but democracy is so much more than that. For a government to be considered true democracy it must support these four key elements “A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections, the active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life, protection of the human rights of all citizens, a rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens” (Diamond, 2004). If we go by this definition of democracy than America is not consider to be true democracy.

With every Presidential election, the United States’ electoral college takes place. The electoral college has been around for about 200 years and it is still going strong with its intended purpose. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Democracy is defined as a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. This definition is accurate in the way that supreme power is held by the people but also that there are two forms, direct and indirect. Direct democracy is a system of government in which members of the polity, or political organization, meet to discuss all policy decisions and then agree to abide. This is also is called true democracy. In the form everyone is equal and their votes would count. So by voting, they will be able to voice their opinion and majority rule is the majority of the people, all 320 millions people in the United States of America.

Democracy, as it is used today, means “ the people rule.” A democracy is a form of government ruled by the people of the country through elections and representation. A democracy is really a form of republic known as a democratic republic. A republic is a government where officials elected by a small group of people that make the important decisions.

In our very own Pledge of Allegiance it states “and to the republic for which it stands”. In school we are taught that the United States could be both and in a way they are right. However the way we operate as a country shows all the signs of a republic. A republic is defined as a form of government that in which the supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. While a democracy is defined as form of government in which the people decide policy matters directly--through town hall meetings or by voting on ballot initiatives and referendums. The United States of America’s government is a republic rather than a democracy.

Government is an administration defined by the Constitution, but is also a constantly adjusting foundation by the efforts of its citizens. By Litherland (2014), government is defined as policies set in order to lead a body of people (p. 395). Over the span of time, the idea of government has been stretched, changed, and applied to various communities throughout both the nation and the world. Whether it was back in the eighteenth century, current, or in the very near future—government has existed and will continue to exist for its people and the nation it has built its foundation upon. With the use of multiple authors, those of: “Difference between Direct and Representative Democracy” (n.d.), “Federalism - Dividing Power between States and the

First, a democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is handed to the people

There is a common misconception that the United States is a “Democracy”, but the technical term for the type of government that the U.S. is ruled under is a “Constitutional Republic”. A Republic is simply a government where people whom were elected by a larger body of citizens make the laws, while a Democracy is simply a government where the citizens make laws directly. A constitution is simply a set of laws that are above all, and everything after cannot contradict those laws. Thus, a Constitutional Republic is simply a government who rules under a set of laws and the government is elected by a larger body of citizens to make future laws. However, it is not that simple.

What is democracy? Democracy a form of government in which the people freely elect representatives to govern them in a country, democracy guarantees free and fair elections, basic personal and political rights and independent court of law. There are two types of democracy, direct and indirect democracy. Direct democracy or pure democracy is where there is direct participate of the people; people make decisions for them instead of letting them representative make decision for them. Indirect democracy the decisions are made by the representative on behalf of the people that voted for them. All over the world people are having different views with regard to democracy and how it operates. “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of