Why does the definition of a democracy and republic matter?

Well, the truth of the matter is that Americans do in fact live in a republic. That means that our nation is governed by laws that are already set in place. Those laws can be changed, and the people HAVE A SAY in what those laws should and will be because of the democratic nature of our government, but we are a republic like many other nations.

We are what is called a democratic republic.

Other nations point this out because they feel that Americans may feel that we are better than others because we live in a "democracy" when in fact we do not. My understanding is that most other nations are republics (without the democratic caveat) and they want Americans to understand that while we may have a say in our government through our rights, we are ultimately governed by the law, not the people - just like they are.

In general, a democracy means that majority rules. So, good or bad, what the majority of the people want, they get. A republic has a governing body who makes laws for the people to live by - period.

There is no input from the people. In America, while we have a governing body who makes our laws, we are the individuals who put them there through democratic (free) participation in the electoral system.

I reason why it matters is that there is a constitutional distinction. Article IV, sect. 4 of the Constitution says that that the states of the union are guaranteed a "republican form of government."

Furthermore, James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution" gave a scathing indictment of democracy in Federalist #10.

So, our system is a republic--laws are not made directly by the people, but by their chosen representatives.

It might be best to say that we are a "democratic republic. " "Democracy" defines what kind of republic we are.

My answer is absolutely not! Picking our leaders, is understanding the way government works and picking those most fit to lead.It is not a popularity contest that should be handed to the "dumb masses". Get educated, Know who your congressman is and then vote.

Otherwise stay home and watch American Idol!

Is less than half correct. Having a basic understanding of how our government works doesn't mean labeling it, and it doesn't mean knowing the difference between republic or democracy. It means what it says... no more, no less.

Point of fact: We're not living in a Republic by the strictest definition. The best you can say is that it's got more elements of a Republic than it has of a Democracy, but that doesn't really tell you anything.

As a people, we're not going to get anywhere until we stop getting hung up on what to call something and get down to business on what we want as a people and what we know works and doesn't work. In my experience, people who throw around terms like republic or democracy to identify our government are looking to say that one of them is bad or one of them is good. It's the same kind of mentality that wants to label Obama as a socialist, because if you can successfully do that, then socialism = bad and therefore Obama = bad.It's much easier than dissecting his policies and PROVING that he's a bad president.

(and in case you think I'm plugging Obama, I think he is an idiot. I didn't vote for him the first time and I don't plan to vote for him next time either).

It's academic to talk about our country as a republic or democracy. If you're making an academic point, then by all means, go for it. However, if you're trying to make a political point, even assuming you prove your point one way or another, what does that really mean?

You've still got to prove why one is preferable over the other, and it's not as easy as you might think. It's much more constructive to root out what is bad about our system and how to improve it. It's also much simpler to ignore the label and go for the substance in the first place.

A democracy means most the amount of people makes the decision. So 49 people would be doing what 51 people want. But a republic means we elect people to make URL1 matters because the definitions are different.

Wow, two incredible answers. Thank you very much.

I wish it wouldn't matter - we should learn to live and let live sometimes, but it's impossible to live by certain philosophies if others aren't, so there is conflict.

If we don't understand such a basic principal of our government, then we will not have a basis from which to judge the candidate's understanding of what his job actually will be. All politicians are just citizens who put thier names in the ring. No different from you and me, except they want the job.

There is a difference between the 2. I guess people will argue over it for years to come.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.