IS THE UNITED STATES A DEMOCRACY OR A REPUBLIC? - RepresentUs

[@iversonmatthew]

Neither. We are oligarchy or more accurately, inverted totalitarianism. Rule for, of, and by the rich. Princeton proved us peasants have zero representation. Carter admitted it.

[@ttystikkrocks1042]

This is the truth.

[@jonathanframe7354]

Lol

[@perfectlyGoodInk]

Well said. This is exactly the correct answer to the question. Also, it's interesting to note that the top 10 countries in the Global Democracy Ranking at 2:39 all use some form of Proportional Representation to create a multi-party system. As these represent a bigger percentage of the population, they are clearly more democratic than a two-party system that excludes Libertarians, Greens, and many other ideologies as well as marginalizing women and religious and ethnic minorities.

[@blue_tetris]

It almost never existed as a talking point when I was young, but the last 10 years of Facebook revived this debate as some explanation for the otherwise meaningless names for America's two modern parties. Or perhaps as a means of justifying why one party is right and the other is wrong. We all used to know that the parties' names were just a strange relic, and that a majority of the world's republics (that is, non-monarchies) use democracy. Paradoxically, the world's least democratic republics--like North Korea, Iran, and China--are usually despised by people who engage in some semantic argument about why America isn't (or shouldn't be) democratic.

[@nateplautz7474]

All those countries you listed also have “Republic” in their names. Which is pretty funny in and of itself 😂

[@BicycleFunk]

In America, the democrats believe that it is better to have representatives while republicans believe they could do a better job themselves. Very ironic.

[@popchik]

It’s a Limbaugh created argument to try to deem the Democratic Party irrelevant.

[@Sannidor]

Neither. It's a corporation.

[@Andre-qo5ek]

it's not yet a s-corp .. but they are definitely on the path to make it one. right now its just an LLC 😆

[@TesserId]

Plutocracy.

[@AnyaGB]

Anarcho-capitalism with corporate fascism

[@starmkd18]

It's supposed to be a democratic republic. Like most of the countries in the world

[@TinaNoe23]

We are a republic the law rules first so it’s a constitutional republic

[@AnyaGB]

American justice system is completely broken. The rich and powerful are all above the law. Corporations are above the law. It's anarcho-capitalism corporate fascism. America.Inc.

[@between2burgs]

Thank you for creating content! I can’t believe the views on this one are so low, but I appreciate having it around as a reference if the conversation on this topic comes up!

[@FaustoChavez-gi8lx]

This channel needs more veiws

[@viper2148]

You described a "representative democracy" not a "democracy". The American system of government is best described as a Constitutional democratic republic. A true democracy is two wolves and a lamb having a vote on what's for dinner. We don't want that.

[@LeDucTube]

This is very interesting, and very educational. I do have one question. How could the Economic Intelligence Unit downgrade from a “full” democracy, if you claimed America was not a full democracy from start? You said that it is both a democracy and republic.

[@markdeyoung7913]

Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution guarantees a republican form of government to each state, and protects the states from invasion and domestic violence:

[@AlexHop1]

Thank you!

[@ericspears6558]

The US government was founded as a republic. It is my understanding that a democracy assigns the highest power to the people and in contrast, a republic assigns the highest power to the constitution. In a full-on democracy, the people can be fooled by smooth talking politicians to vote away their own rights. A republic prevents this, while still being very similar to and operating in many ways like a democracy. A pure democracy can lead to a "mob rules" mentality resulting in individual rights becoming nonexistent. So, the bill of rights was added to the constitution to affirm individual rights are protected, and that each individual person possesses these rights. I believe it's more accurate to say that our government is a constitutional republic that embraces democratic values. Here's an over-the-top example. Let's say that a Utah politician proposes for a ballot measure to create a law in Utah called the "Religion unification act" which mandates that only Mormonism can be practiced in the state of Utah. The people vote, and it passes by 51% of the votes. This fictional "Religion unification act" which was voted into law is unconstitutional, and would be struck down by the SCOTUS as a violation of the 1st amendment, as it violates the individual right to practice any religion an individual may choose to be a part of. And remember the constitution holds the highest power in a republic, the people come second. In this case, a constitutional republic prevails where a pure democracy fails.

[@nowhereman4319]

Spot on, my friend.

[@happy_thinking]

Which is essentially just a safeguard. Because if the people wanted the constitution could be changed if enough people were rallied.

[@AnyaGB]

Oh yeah, so much individual freedom: the state controls women reproduction, incarceration for "immoral" gay behavior, banned books, forced pregnancy, child marriages, and illegal child labor. There aren't any protection of human rights, just a pretense that we are some sort of a Constitution following free country. America is a dictatorship

[@221WTF]

We are a constitutional republic. We are not, and definitely should not even want to be a democracy! The politicians that keep crying about our democracy, have never read our Constitution. If you dont know the difference, learn it! Read your constitution, its not that long.

[@SmellingTheGrass]

A simpler if not more sinister revision for either terms these days seems to be "Know your place serf"

[@DreamsAreReal25]

RFK Jr. for President 2024!!! Thank you for this content. It is very much appreciated.

[@thewinderywanderer9071]

The United States is a republic, yes, but that political system can also be described as 'representative democracy' - so this means the republic poilitical system is a form of a democracy - then that means America is a democracy.

[@GaiaMiranda]

Democracy is the function within the Republic that we are

[@jaredmarcelli2919]

@thewinderywanderer9071 would you GUARANTEE it? Since, US Constitution Article IV Section 4 doesn’t. Is it impossible to have a constitutional republic with zero democratic principles? The founding fathers incorporated the only appropriate components of democracy. It’s like saying a poster of the Ten Commandments on the wall of a classroom establishes a national religion violating the establishment clause. That’s simply (D)ense, (D)aft, and (D)umb. Requiring a Bible in every classroom doesn’t even come close to establishing a national religion either.

[@thewinderywanderer9071]

@@jaredmarcelli2919 I don't see how Article IV, Section 4 contradicts my points. It explicitly states, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government," meaning each state will have its own republican form of government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf. This process is a fundamental aspect of representative democracy. While the U.S. is a constitutional republic, it remains a form of representative democracy. The Constitution ensures that democracy functions within a framework that protects individual rights and limits government power. This doesn't negate the democratic principle of rule by the people; rather, it ensures that elected representatives govern in a manner consistent with constitutional principles. Limitations imposed by the Constitution do not detract from the essence of democracy-electing representatives to act on behalf of the populace is a democratic act. The founders incorporated democratic principles to ensure a balanced, fair, and equitable government, reflecting the will of the people while safeguarding their rights.

[@thewinderywanderer9071]

​@@GaiaMiranda I don't disagree with that. You are correct, but what you said doesn't negate what I mentioned in my original comment. In fact, both points go hand in hand. For more clarification, feel free to read my other response in this comment thread.

[@cprince7609]

A republic, if we can keep it 😉

[@sinOsiris]

core idea of system management: all manner of earth resources towards improvement of potential to survive at planetary level anything that break this should undergo re evaluation and new adjustment are required

[@claib4]

Everyone one of your videos should dedicate 25% of the total time at the end to HOW WE FIX IT without another civil war!!!! I love your concept of RepresentUs but get your plans out front so people can fully trust and become vested in your organization.

[@WoundedWarrior2012]

Nope! Democracy isn't in the Constitution. I'm 66! This is a new liberal thing to get power!

[@danishyland]

Democracy isn't in the constitution true because the founding fathers did not want it associated with it in the law of the land because of the monarchy inference. However, it does appear in the Federalist Papers because the word was and is still used interchangeableby. It wasn't explicitly stated because of the negative light of the word.

[@BR549_o7]

All anyone needs to do is recite the Pledge of Allegiance to know which is correct. End of story. ""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."

[@jaredmarcelli2919]

GUARANTEE! Have them recite US Constitution Article IV Section 4 and don’t let them pay it lip service. They want something else they can get 2/3 of both houses of Congress and 3/4 of the states to agree; or, 2/3 of the states in a convention of states but they don’t know article IV or V. They are tragically (D)ense, (D)aft, and (D)umb to all our (D)emise. Blue Walls = (D)anger lawalz🤣 Peace and God speed

[@jonathanframe7354]

constitutional federal republic

[@kriss9652]

A Democracy his two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner.

[@GaiaMiranda]

Democracy is a function in the Republic that we are we are... not a function LOL

[@gregleal9586]

We are a Republic. Hope americans start waking up to reality

[@brandonl1064]

Lemme guess you just watched a couple hours of turning point USA or Prager U? Lol

[@gregleal9586]

@@brandonl1064 nope, it's just a fact

[@brandonl1064]

@@gregleal9586 we’re a Representative Democracy and Constitutional Republic, that’s the fact

[@javiersantana848]

@@brandonl1064 By definition, a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution, and a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority. Although these forms of government are often confused, they are quite different. The main difference between a republic and a democracy is the charter or constitution that limits power in a republic, often to protect the individual's rights against the desires of the majority.

[@javiersantana848]

@@brandonl1064 A republic is distinct from a democracy because, while both involve citizen participation, a republic specifically relies on a constitution or charter to limit government power and protect individual rights, even if that means sometimes going against the will of the majority, whereas a democracy is more directly ruled by the majority's desires.