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🤔The Republican approach to governance and electoral politics has undergone a significant transformation, with figures like Loren Culp labeling democracy as a precursor to socialism and communism.
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🗳️The founding fathers were incredibly wary of mob rule and excluded everyone except landed white men in the constitution.
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🏛️The U.S. is a federal constitutional representative democracy, combining both democratic and republican elements.
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🤯The Roman Republic lasted for 500 years, while the empire lasted for about 1000 years after the transition, raising questions about the long-term consequences of such shifts in governance.
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🏛️The founding fathers wanted minorities to be calling the shots, but not the brown minorities, just the white people who didn't agree with the other white people.
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🤔The creation of the constitution led to small r republican aspects of our government that now exclusively benefit big R Republicans.
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🤔The government is incredibly responsive to pressure from elites, with a 30% chance of public policy passing for the bottom 90% regardless of their support.
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📜The constitution was intentionally written to exclude enslaved people, women, and poor people, creating a republic where only wealthy, male, and white individuals had a seat at the table.
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📜Treating the constitution and founding fathers as infallible puts the fate of our nation in the hands of a group of white Christian men from 250 years ago who did not want most of us to participate in government.This explains why America is a mess lately!!
The United States is both a democracy and a republic, and the distinction lies in the specific ways these terms are defined and understood.
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Democracy:
- In a pure democracy, every citizen has a direct say in decision-making. This is often impractical in large societies, so direct democracies are more feasible in smaller communities.
- In a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. The United States incorporates elements of a representative democracy through its elected officials, such as members of Congress and the President.
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Republic:
- A republic is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter," and elected officials represent the interests of the citizens.
- In a republic, the powers of the government are limited by a constitution or a charter. This limitation is crucial to protect the rights of individuals and minority groups against the potential tyranny of the majority.
The United States is often referred to as a democratic republic. Here's why:
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Democratic Elements: Citizens have the opportunity to participate directly in decision-making through voting in elections, initiatives, and referendums.
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Republic Elements: The U.S. Constitution establishes a framework of government that limits the powers of the government and protects individual rights. The President and members of Congress are elected representatives who govern within the confines of the Constitution.
In summary, the U.S. is not a pure democracy due to its representative elements, and it's not a pure republic because citizens still have a direct role in decision-making through their votes. Instead, it is a democratic republic, blending democratic and republican principles to create a system of government that seeks to balance popular will with the protection of individual rights.
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