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ep.231 (6/18/24)

We are a Constitutional Republic not a Democracy!  

1.James Madison:
•In Federalist No. 10: “Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure for which we are seeking.”
2.Alexander Hamilton:
•In Federalist No. 68: “It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice.”
3.John Adams:
•In a letter to John Taylor in 1814: “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”
4.Thomas Jefferson:
•In a letter to John Adams in 1813: “The majority, oppressing an individual, is guilty of a crime, abuses its strength, and by acting on the law of the strongest breaks up the foundations of society.”
5.Benjamin Franklin:
•At the close of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, when asked what kind of government the delegates had created, Franklin famously replied: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

The United States is best described as a constitutional republic with democratic elements. Here’s a breakdown of these terms:
1.Constitutional Republic: This means that the country is governed by a set of laws outlined in a constitution, which provides the framework for government operations and the protection of individual rights. In a republic, officials are elected to represent the people and are accountable to them.
2.Democratic Representation: While the U.S. is not a direct democracy, where citizens vote on every issue directly, it incorporates democratic principles by allowing citizens to vote for their representatives. These elected officials then make decisions on behalf of their constituents.

This combination aims to balance the will of the majority with the protection of individual rights, preventing the potential excesses of direct democracy while ensuring that the government remains responsive to the people.

The framers of the Constitution knew straight democracies don't work and how they all eventually lead to tyranny of the majority. I read some quotes from the federalist papers to prove this country was never designed to be a democracy.