That’s the kind of statement that can bring up any political debate short. Most US citizens would argue it. But it’s true! For an easy laugh, ask someone who doubts you to recite the pledge of allegiance. “…and to the republic for which it stands…” Oooooh!
So if the USA isn’t a democracy, what is it? Scholars would give you a choice between “Representative Democracy” and “Constitutional Republic.” This is no small distinction! What we have in the USA is quite different from a democracy.
For an example, say a US citizen in the 2000 presidential election liked neither George Bush nor Al Gore, so they cast a vote for Ralph Nader on the belief that they were at least voting against the other two candidates. Actually, all that does is throw a vote away, thanks to the Electoral College system.
Each state has a set number of electoral votes going by district, so the candidate who gets the most votes in any given state gets all of the electoral votes in that state, even if they only got it by a single vote! An electorate just counts the votes in their precinct until a clear winner emerges, and then it’s off to the Electoral College to vote for the winner. So in that election, a vote for Ralph Nader did not cancel out a vote for George Bush.
In the big picture, the US is a Republic because instead of voting directly for every little detail, from whether we go to war to whether we have a seat-belt law, we instead elect representatives – Congress persons, Mayors, Senators, Governors, and Presidents, too. Once they get in office, they can do as they please. There is no law binding an elected official to make good on the promises they gave while campaigning for the office. You can impeach them for breaking the law – that’s all!
Another thing that separates the US from a pure democracy is that in a direct democracy, every law passed must be enforced to the letter. In a Republic, the law gets interpreted by a Judiciary branch, which can repeal, overrule, or simply ignore any law it wants to. If the case is just and the law is unfair, out goes the law. Did you know there’s a law against committing adultery in California? So this is why everybody who has sex outside of marriage in California isn’t in jail!
Understanding the nature of our government in the United States helps all its citizens to make more informed decisions. For one thing, it explains why we have so many elections that seem to come out to “pick the least of two evils.” For another, it explains why we have so many laws that so many disagree with. Just like a boss hiring employees, all you can do is interview candidates, then appoint them and hope that they’ll work for you!
