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Why It Is Important To Understand The Constitutional Republic VS Democracy Debate

By Patty Goff


The importance of knowing the difference between the republican form of government the United States established in 1787 and the democracies that are in many other countries is crucial. It is important to understand what the US Constitution says about what can and can not be done in the name of the rule of law. The debate of constitutional republic vs democracy should always be entered into with knowledge.

Looking into a republican form of government, one finds that the peoples rights are guaranteed because of the writing of a constitution. In the United States, this document sets up a separation of powers. This is established as the legislative, executive and judicial branches which serve as a check and balance against each other.

In a democracy, the vote of the people carries the day. This vote is for the elected leaders to serve as the masterminds of the country. There is no separation of powers and all power is gathered in this overtly isolated court of central planners. By not having certain enumerated powers, this group will take all powers unto themselves and there is no appeal to it.

The true republican form of government will elect the various members of the House of Representatives, senate and the president. It is expected that these elected individuals will work together to enact reasonable laws and regulations. The will of the people should be considered for this to happen and, many times, compromises must be made before it becomes law.

A democracy is often compared to 20 lions and 15 zebras voting on what to have for lunch. In a full democracy, the elected members of the government have the authority over everything that comes before it. The vote comes in and the majority wins. There are no minority rights at all as a full democracy has often been called, simply, mob rule.

One of the things that make the republican form of government so appealing is that the US Constitution had to be approved by the people before it could represent the peoples rights. They had to approve it in 1787 to 1789 and they also have the ability to make changes to it even now. This is accomplished with the amendment process. This is possible and necessary because their representatives need guidance, from time to time, and the people do not vote on all issues coming before these legislators.

The Constitution makes it plain what is to be done, even for issues that are not specifically mentioned in it. The guide that this gives the legislators is a bulwark against tyranny. The democracy, on the other hand, has no such guidelines. The elected members of the mastermind class, involved in a democracy, have no need to remember history. They have no need to connect causes and effect in their attempt to make everyone the same as everyone else.

The fact that the United States, in 2014, does not resemble a republican form of government is to every voters detriment. The framers of the Constitution created a republican, federal government. It did not want a national government which would have resembled a democracy they did not want to establish.




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