Republican democracy
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A republican democracy is a republic which has democratic forms of government. One of the key principals is free and open debate prior to casting a vote. The United States of America is a Democratic Republic.[1] A republic in the modern understanding is a nation or state where the people are sovereign. It is not a monarchy, where the king or queen is the head of state. By this definition there are abundant examples of states that are republics but not democracies, and of states that are democracies but not republics. Another characterization of a republic is its emphasis on law and rule of the people through elected representatives. In this sense it refers to the notion representative democracy, as one meaning of republic is a system of restricted democracy.
However, there are distinctions between the terms "republic" and "democracy," as the latter retains many of the same qualities of a republic, yet adheres to no distinct political order or set of laws. Therefore by its original understanding, "democracy" could be qualified as anything from representative governance to individual and mob rule. And in this sense the word "democracy" is often used too lightly and erroneously to mean "republic."
[edit] References
- ^ O'Leary, Kevin (2006). Saving Democracy: A Plan for Real Representation in America. Stanford University Press, Page 213. ISBN:0804754985.
[edit] See also
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