Time after time, those in charge say things that are simply not true and reveal their complete ignorance in even the most basic information regarding the United States and history.
It is even more disconcerting when knowing such information is an inherent part of their job. Here are a few examples of such ignorance at work from people who truly should know the United States is a republic and what exactly that entails.
Ignorance: President Obama referred to the US as a democracy on more than one occasion. Just two examples are from a Hampton University Commencement Speechand in a meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Supreme Court Justice Breyer wrote a book titled “Making Our Democracy Work” (and displayed his ignorance regarding the Second Amendment, but that is a topic for another post).
Secretary of State (and former First Lady) Hillary Clinton referred to the US as a democracy in her speech given in Poland at the Community of Democracies. More after the jump.
Truth: The United States is a republic, not a democracy. There is a huge difference. A democracy is a form of government that gives the majority the power and voice. The minority and the individual have no say or protection. There is no appeal to decisions made by the majority. Essentially, democracy is ‘mob rule’. Examples of democratic governments are found in Hong Kong and Macau, both of which have ‘limited’ democracies.
A republic is a constitutionally-limited form of government that uses representatives to give all (majority and minority) a voice. One of the primary differences and purposes of a republic is to protect the inalienable rights of the individual and groups of individuals.
The Pledge of Allegiance is a great reminder of our type of government “ . . .and to the Republic for which it stands . . .”. If you understand how each form of government is established, the Constitution of the United States is a clear illustration of the United States being set up specifically to be a republic.
Summary
Understanding the difference between the two forms of government and that the US is a republic are crucial for those in every branch of our government because a democracy and a republic are opposite of each other. If you are part of the government, you should understand the basics of how it functions.
An Important Distinction: Democracy versus Republic:
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