"...and that, children, is why we need a constitutionalist on the Supreme Court."
Ted Cruz?

I'm also hoping a lot of people on the 9th circuit court die and are replaced in this administration. The 9th circuit has been a thorn in the side of our nation for decades.

Dad, I like Ted Cruz right where he is as my Texas Senator, Neil Gorsuch is the best man for the job of Supreme Court justice thank you very much.

Well, so much energy for nothing.........

Democracy equals mob rule.......
It has not occurred to McManus that there may be a reason why the two factions that for the last 150 years have been holding the Congress are named the Democratic party and the forerunner of the Republican party was called the Democratic-Republican party.

So glad that we don't have a democracy, but a republic, and for that reason.

"I often hear people argue that the United States is a republic, not a democracy. But that’s a false dichotomy. A common definition of “republic” is, to quote the American Heritage Dictionary, “A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them” — we are that. A common definition of “democracy” is, “Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives” — we are that, too.
And indeed the American form of government has been called a “democracy” by leading American statesmen and legal commentators from the Framing on. "

Scissored out to avoid too much bother.

Clearly you don't understand the difference in governance between a democracy and a republic "Grand Vizier" !!

In a democracy - every citizen votes DIRECTLY on legislative issues

In a republic - every citizen votes ON A REPRESENTATIVE to vote FOR THEM on legislative issues - except for direct citizen election of a president and congress

You state: "...the American form of government has been called a 'democracy' by leading American statesmen and legal commentators from the Framing on"

...in error...and apparent ignorance of what the "Framers" themselves had to say differentiating between a 'democracy' and a 'republic'

I direct your attention to all the quotations from the Framers following the central text of the article - condemning the ultimate path of a democracy to tyranny vs a Republic which they "gave us" per Ben Franklin's response!!

The USA is a Constitutional Republic - not a democracy - not a 'representative' democracy - but a ConstitutionalRepublic (ARTICLE IV, Section 4, Clause 1) - full stop !!

I copied my text from somewhere(don't remember where), but in 2019 a republic means a democracy. But in 1787 the word democracy meant something else, but they are the same thing.

China and North Korea calls themselves republics, "people's republics", quite meaningles, as republic means res publica (by the people). North Korea also adds on the name democracy as their official name in English is:
"Democratic People's Republic of Korea" , in effect , if we translate the greek and latin, it would be:
"People's rule the People's by the People of Korea"

...thank you for your response...however...with all due respect a democracy is not a republic and neither is a republic a democracy...both terms properly defined reflect how governance is performed which is not the same as follows:

...in a democracy every citizen votes (can) on every legislative issue. There are no "intermediaries" (such as elected officials) needed to cast their votes for them.

...in a Constitutional Republic such as the USA is (and if you are a citizen) you don't cast a single vote for any US legislative issue (unless city, county, state, etc initiative) and neither does any other American citizen. We all vote for a representative to vote for us on every legislative issue

...big difference !!!

...as citizens of a Republic...the only occasions we cast our votes ourselves is in presidential or elections for our representatives...not for legislative issues as stated

Finally

...what nations like North Korea or China (or other nations such as they) incorporate names for their national states like "Republic" or "Democratic" is nothing more than a "false flag" to lull their citizens into accepting that a totalitarian government and corresponding despotic leader "represents" their best interests. Neither in North Korea nor China do those nation's citizens have a real voting voice in choosing their leaders so "democracy" there is nothing more than a sham as is the word "Republic" included in their state/nation name a true republic wherein citizens actually "elect" their representatives.

I invite you to pursue the following link. Yes - it is to Wikipedia which is an open edit system and not always the best reference but in this instance it is useful to look at the various nations claiming to be democratic or a republic (including 'crowned' republics) - which clearly shows not all claiming to be one or the other really represents the freedom to vote either on every legislative issue (as already noted in a democracy) or to elect representatives to vote for them (as in a republic) because they are fundamentally dictatorships or an otherwise autocratic form of government and leadership.

I am sorry, even if words mean something, here words have changed content through 200 years, and pretending that they have not brings us nowhere

...when ARTICLE IV, Section 4, of the US Constitution changes the words "...a republican form of government" to "...a democratic form of government" and the sixteenth word in The Pledge To The Flag changes the words "...and to the Republic for which it stands" to "...and to the democracy for which it stands"...then perhaps your argument will gain merit and traction...but until then...it doesn't again with all due respect (and nothing has changed in 200 years+ enabling you to directly vote on national legislative issues as you could if the US was a 'democracy' - you still have to depend on an elected representative to do it for you - because we are a REPUBLIC !!)

...we're done here

...have a nice day !

I've already told you that meanings of the word democracy has changed.
In the UK the word meant thug rule, today they call their their system a constitutional monarchy, or a democracy in the formal form of a monarchy.

When the constitution was drafted, it only opened up voting rights for roughly 6% of the population, the states themselves did (and still do) decided who could vote.

With your view of matters, they should go back to that system

Grand Vizier: "I've already told you that meanings of the word democracy has changed"

No - it hasn't !!

What has changed - is a blurring-of-the-lines understanding the difference between a democracy and a republic which has led to great numbers of individuals (from elected officials to news anchors and guests to everyday citizens) wrongly interchanging the two very different forms of government as one and the same thing - which they are not !!

The fourth paragraph of the host article sums that fact up nicely:

"The Founding Fathers....recognized that majority rule (a democracy) would quickly degenerate into mobocracy and then into tyranny. They had studied the history of both the Greek democracies and the Roman republic. They had a clear understanding of the relative freedom and stability that had characterized the latter (a republic), and of the strife and turmoil — quickly followed by despotism — that had characterized the former (a democracy). In drafting the Constitution, they created a government of law and not of men, a republic and not a democracy"

- (words in parenthesis and bold text added for emphasis)

To then explain the origins of the incorrect blending in today's usage merging democracy with a republic as one and the same thing, the host article goes on to explain:

"By the 20th century, however, the falsehoods that democracy was the epitome of good government and that the Founding Fathers had established just such a government for the United States became increasingly widespread. This misinformation was fueled by President Woodrow Wilson's famous 1916 appeal that our nation enter World War I "to make the world safe for democracy" — and by President Franklin Roosevelt's 1940 exhortation that America "must be the great arsenal of democracy" by rushing to England's aid during WWII"

- (words underlined and bold text added for emphasis)

"Falsehoods"..."misinformation"...specifically being said about the blending of "democracy" with "a republic" as one-in-the-same-thing describes why it is so often heard by elected officials, talk-show hosts and guests, and everyday citizens using "our democracy" with an occasional "our republic" being used interchangeably and in error!!

...enough said to correct your thinking "Grand Vizier" !!

The Difference is that the founding fathers were very careful not including the word democracy

That is because democracy meant something else 240 years ago.
It meant thugs rule.
But basically republic means the same. Republic:
c. 1600, "state in which supreme power rests in the people via elected representatives," from Middle French république (15c.), from Latin respublica (ablative republica) "the common weal, a commonwealth, state, republic," literally res publica "public interest, the state," from res "affair, matter, thing" (see re) + publica, fem. of publicus "public" (see public (adj.)). Republic of letters attested from 1702.

If it is direct, or indirect does not matter. In Rome, res publica meant that the plebeians chose their people sit in the assembly, the senate was the other house, originally based on the original families, the patriciens or equestrian.

But after a plebeian was chosen consul (co-president as the chose 2), he was lifted to the senate.

"And indeed the American form of government has been called a 'democracy'
by leading American statesmen and legal commentators from the Framing
on. " This is just plain incorrect. You are either ignorant or a liar. You're so persistent despite having the truth explained to you multiple times, that I am suspecting the latter. I know this is an old thread, but there are some posts I just can't allow to stand without further dispute.

The truth is that NO leading American statesman referred to the U.S. Government model as a democracy until Woodrow Wilson. He wanted us to enter WWI in order to "protect the world for democracy." He was a Southern Democrat, an abject racist and a Marxist. Those who have picked up the term to refer to the U.S. form of Government since then are either similarly ignorant or liars.

Res publica, anawering to the public. It is democracy,

The reason that, as you say, to some degree this is true, right now in this time in history, is because the De Jure has somehow managed to stay alive in spite of the De Facto's efforts to kill it. We are the only nation on earth that has had two diametrically opposed systems of "government" running simultaneously. And the only way they "the demoncrats" (we should just call a pig a pig and say communists but oh well..) have been able to pull this off is by corporate control of everything the People eat, read, see, drink, and breathe through the poisoning of our air, food and water and even our soils (not to mention our minds) and their non stop propaganda machines in our work places, as our "entertainment", in our houses of worship and worse and most of all in our schools. Prayerfully, this is ALL coming to a hasty end fortunately, and I for one, will be doing a Jig in the streets when our beloved Republic, the De Jure united States of America is finally restored. And that is my two cents for whats it worth.

"two diametrically opposed systems of "government" running simultaneously. "????

Enlighten me

The term "democracy" is a kind of shorthand. Basically we are - we have many of the benefits - but technically, we are not.

If we were a true democracy, then we would have no Electoral College, for example. We would have direct vote for the presidency, and Hillary would be the president now.

McManus said that the difference between a democracy and republic is not merely semantics. Perhaps you missed that part.

Incidentally, it isn't incorrect to call a republic a democracy. Calling America a democracy isn't inaccurate. It's just not as specific as calling it a republic. The UK has a democracy, but a different form. Democracies exist throughout the west. Personally, I think the type of democracy that is the best is a constitutional republic, which we have in America. It allows for majority rule as long as it doesn't trample on people's rights, especially those who might be in the majority. Hence, a guarantee of property rights, the right to bear arms, free speech, etc.

This is all a bit like calling an elephant a mammal. It isn't inaccurate, just not as specific as calling it an elephant.

McManus did not write the bok on the subject, so I prefer to disregard his opinions.

Your elephant and mammal example is so far off the subject that I prefer to pretend I did not see it.

We'll start with the beginning. The Greeks called the meeting of all free men (demos), discussing and deciding a democracy. Today the word is taken to mean something completely different, namely a system of representatives chosen by the people to rule.

The Romans got rid of their kings and declared their rule to be res publica, by the people. So, basically the same principle, different name. Even when the empire started after Gaivs Ivilvs Cæsar, the claimed it was still a republic.

To include the rights to bear arms as a part of a republic is so childish I won't even comment.

The American Constitution was written in a period where the classics were much in favor, and the wording was influenced. Democracy was (wrongly) interpreted as some kind of thug rule in the 1780's, that's why the word is hardly ever included in those new constitutions from this period.
(Of the countless constitutions written in a 25 year period , only the American -1789- and the Norwegian -1814-, survive).

And we failed them, the Founders of this nation. While we were busy watching "reality" television, sports, and playing on our video games, America became an Oligarchy. Our democratic republic is little more than a shell now; something we try and pretend is real much like ancient Romans did after the rise of the Caesars until such time as the farce could no longer be maintained.

This article is more relevant today than it ever has been. Thanks for keeping it on your site!

I keep sharing this article in hopes that people will take the time to actually READ it and understand that the difference here in America between our Republic and a Democracy is literally the difference between the De Jure and the De Facto.