- Jan 15, 2013
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I read this this morning. Found it very informative and a good read.
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Politics 101 - Week 1. Republic vs Democracy: The founders' vision and where we are now.
Welcome to the very first Politics 101 post. The topic this week is:
Republic vs Democracy
What did the founders envision?
Where does the US government currently stand?
If you were to ask most Americans what type of government the US has, they would say that it is a democracy. Yet, our "Pledge of Allegiance", which millions of American children recite every morning before school, calls our country a republic.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.
So which one is it and what is the difference?
First, let's briefly discuss the definitions of a Republic and a Democracy so that we can dive into the more juicy questions.
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which power resides in the people, and the government is ruled by elected leaders and run according to law, rather than inherited or appointed. Source[1]
One of the most famous republics in history is the Roman Republic[2] which began in 510BC after the overthrow of the Roman monarchy and lasted ~480 years. The Roman Republic had many elements which are still seen in modern republics today, such as:
Constitution
Consuls (Senators)
Tribunes (Representatives)
Separation of powers
Checks and balances
Source[3]
The separation of powers that exists in the US government was inspired by the Roman Republic, where power was divided between the consuls, the tribunes and the different assemblies of the people. This division of power was meant to protect minority rights and ensure that no one arm of the government became stronger than another. Source[4] It is also an important distinction between a republic and a democracy.
Comparison between the US government and the Roman Republic.[5]
Democracy
Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens are meant to participate equally either directly or, through elected representatives, indirectly in the proposal, development and establishment of the laws by which their society is run. In contrast with a republic, a democracy structurally favors majority opinion and typically has fewer protections for minorities. Source[6]
There are two basic forms of democratic governments:
Direct Democracy[7] , which is a political system where the citizens participate in the decision-making personally, contrary to relying on intermediaries or representatives.
Representative Democracy[8] , which involves the election of government officials by the people being represented. A characteristic of representative democracy is that while the representatives are elected by the people to act in the people's interest, they retain the freedom to exercise their own judgement as how best to do so.
Athens[9] was one of the first known democracies. The city-state operated as a direct democracy for almost 200 years.
The Athenian democracy saw nearly permanent turmoil in its existence, going from being subservient to nearby cities to a regional powerhouse back to subservience based on the outcome of poorly planned and executed wars. Source[10]
Aristotle, a Greek philosopher (considered one of the most influential thinkers of ancient times) lived in Athens and wrote in depth about political theory. He was very critical of democracy as a form of government:[11]
For in democracies where the laws are not supreme, demagogues spring up.
. . . [T]his sort of democracy . . . [is] what tyranny is to other forms of monarchy. The spirit of both is the same, and they alike exercise a despotic rule over the better citizens. The decrees of the [demagogues] correspond to the edicts of the tyrant . . . . Such a democracy is fairly open to the objection that it is not a constitution at all; for where the laws have no authority, there is no constitution. The law ought to be supreme over all . . . .
Aristotle's writings about the dangers of democracies and the importance of constitutions and the rule of law had a profound impact on the Founding Fathers.
What did the founders envision for the United States?
The founders based many of their ideas for the US system of government off of the writings of John Locke, another notable political philosopher. Locke developed many of his ideas off of the works of Aristotle and Thomas Hobbes.[12] He is regarded as one of the most influential forces on the founding fathers and his political philosophy shaped the framework of the United States.
In his Second Treatise of Government[13] , Locke identified the basis of a legitimate government. According to Locke, the duty of that government is to protect the natural rights of the people, which includes life, liberty, and property. If the government should fail to protect these rights, its citizens would have the right to overthrow that government. This idea deeply influenced Thomas Jefferson as he drafted the Declaration of Independence. Source[14]
As a result, the founders envisioned the United States as a Constitutional Republic:[15]
A state in which the head of state and other officials are representatives of the people. They must govern to existing constitution. In a constitutional republic, executive, legislative, and judicial powers can be separated into distinct branches.
There is quite a bit of evidence that shows the founders did not want the US government to be a democracy, including:
James Madison, in Federalist Paper No. 10[16] , said that a pure democracy, " there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual."
At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Edmund Randolph said, ". . . that in tracing these evils to their origin every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy."
John Adams said, "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."
It is important to realize that the founders feared a system of government which would be dominated by majority rule. In a pure democracy, the majority rules and there is no such thing as a significant minority: there are no minority rights except civil rights (privileges) granted by a condescending majority. Source[17]
The founders made sure that our Constitution set up a government that has numerous checks and balances to prevent majority rule. Each of the branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) checks and balances another. There are also systems in place to ensure that the voices of smaller states are not drowned out by larger states (i.e. the House of Representatives vs the Senate, the Electoral College, etc).
Where does the US government currently stand?
This is a pretty loaded question and one that is hotly debated.
Some argue that the US is still a Constitutional Republic that has remained true to the founders' vision. While others believe it is a representative democracy. And yet others argue that the US is now an oligarchy[18] :
a government in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, religious or military control. Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term.
Article about study that found the US is an oligarchy[19] Note: the original study is no longer publicly available.
The simple fact of the matter is that there is no right answer. The founders built the framework for the US government intending for it to operate as a Constitutional Republic. However, hundreds of years have passed and there have been political events and technological advances that the founders could not account for. America has transformed over that time and has tried to remain true to the Constitution, but how well have we done? And where do we really stand now?
-----------------------------------------------------
Politics 101 - Week 1. Republic vs Democracy: The founders' vision and where we are now.
Welcome to the very first Politics 101 post. The topic this week is:
Republic vs Democracy
What did the founders envision?
Where does the US government currently stand?
If you were to ask most Americans what type of government the US has, they would say that it is a democracy. Yet, our "Pledge of Allegiance", which millions of American children recite every morning before school, calls our country a republic.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.
So which one is it and what is the difference?
First, let's briefly discuss the definitions of a Republic and a Democracy so that we can dive into the more juicy questions.
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which power resides in the people, and the government is ruled by elected leaders and run according to law, rather than inherited or appointed. Source[1]
One of the most famous republics in history is the Roman Republic[2] which began in 510BC after the overthrow of the Roman monarchy and lasted ~480 years. The Roman Republic had many elements which are still seen in modern republics today, such as:
Constitution
Consuls (Senators)
Tribunes (Representatives)
Separation of powers
Checks and balances
Source[3]
The separation of powers that exists in the US government was inspired by the Roman Republic, where power was divided between the consuls, the tribunes and the different assemblies of the people. This division of power was meant to protect minority rights and ensure that no one arm of the government became stronger than another. Source[4] It is also an important distinction between a republic and a democracy.
Comparison between the US government and the Roman Republic.[5]
Democracy
Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens are meant to participate equally either directly or, through elected representatives, indirectly in the proposal, development and establishment of the laws by which their society is run. In contrast with a republic, a democracy structurally favors majority opinion and typically has fewer protections for minorities. Source[6]
There are two basic forms of democratic governments:
Direct Democracy[7] , which is a political system where the citizens participate in the decision-making personally, contrary to relying on intermediaries or representatives.
Representative Democracy[8] , which involves the election of government officials by the people being represented. A characteristic of representative democracy is that while the representatives are elected by the people to act in the people's interest, they retain the freedom to exercise their own judgement as how best to do so.
Athens[9] was one of the first known democracies. The city-state operated as a direct democracy for almost 200 years.
The Athenian democracy saw nearly permanent turmoil in its existence, going from being subservient to nearby cities to a regional powerhouse back to subservience based on the outcome of poorly planned and executed wars. Source[10]
Aristotle, a Greek philosopher (considered one of the most influential thinkers of ancient times) lived in Athens and wrote in depth about political theory. He was very critical of democracy as a form of government:[11]
For in democracies where the laws are not supreme, demagogues spring up.
. . . [T]his sort of democracy . . . [is] what tyranny is to other forms of monarchy. The spirit of both is the same, and they alike exercise a despotic rule over the better citizens. The decrees of the [demagogues] correspond to the edicts of the tyrant . . . . Such a democracy is fairly open to the objection that it is not a constitution at all; for where the laws have no authority, there is no constitution. The law ought to be supreme over all . . . .
Aristotle's writings about the dangers of democracies and the importance of constitutions and the rule of law had a profound impact on the Founding Fathers.
What did the founders envision for the United States?
The founders based many of their ideas for the US system of government off of the writings of John Locke, another notable political philosopher. Locke developed many of his ideas off of the works of Aristotle and Thomas Hobbes.[12] He is regarded as one of the most influential forces on the founding fathers and his political philosophy shaped the framework of the United States.
In his Second Treatise of Government[13] , Locke identified the basis of a legitimate government. According to Locke, the duty of that government is to protect the natural rights of the people, which includes life, liberty, and property. If the government should fail to protect these rights, its citizens would have the right to overthrow that government. This idea deeply influenced Thomas Jefferson as he drafted the Declaration of Independence. Source[14]
As a result, the founders envisioned the United States as a Constitutional Republic:[15]
A state in which the head of state and other officials are representatives of the people. They must govern to existing constitution. In a constitutional republic, executive, legislative, and judicial powers can be separated into distinct branches.
There is quite a bit of evidence that shows the founders did not want the US government to be a democracy, including:
James Madison, in Federalist Paper No. 10[16] , said that a pure democracy, " there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual."
At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Edmund Randolph said, ". . . that in tracing these evils to their origin every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy."
John Adams said, "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."
It is important to realize that the founders feared a system of government which would be dominated by majority rule. In a pure democracy, the majority rules and there is no such thing as a significant minority: there are no minority rights except civil rights (privileges) granted by a condescending majority. Source[17]
The founders made sure that our Constitution set up a government that has numerous checks and balances to prevent majority rule. Each of the branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) checks and balances another. There are also systems in place to ensure that the voices of smaller states are not drowned out by larger states (i.e. the House of Representatives vs the Senate, the Electoral College, etc).
Where does the US government currently stand?
This is a pretty loaded question and one that is hotly debated.
Some argue that the US is still a Constitutional Republic that has remained true to the founders' vision. While others believe it is a representative democracy. And yet others argue that the US is now an oligarchy[18] :
a government in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, religious or military control. Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term.
Article about study that found the US is an oligarchy[19] Note: the original study is no longer publicly available.
The simple fact of the matter is that there is no right answer. The founders built the framework for the US government intending for it to operate as a Constitutional Republic. However, hundreds of years have passed and there have been political events and technological advances that the founders could not account for. America has transformed over that time and has tried to remain true to the Constitution, but how well have we done? And where do we really stand now?
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