The claim "America is a republic, not a democracy" is repeated so often it's taken as gospel. But unlike psittacists—creatures who mindlessly mimic words they don't understand—the Founders chose their terms with precision.

Their guide was Samuel Johnson's 1755 Dictionary of the English Language.

Johnson's Definitions (1755)

  • DEMOCRACY: "Government by the people; supreme power lodged in the hands of the people collectively."
  • REPUBLIC: "A state where power is lodged in more than one; a commonwealth."
  • REPRESENTATIVE: "One chosen to act for others; a deputy."

The Founders' masterpiece? A representative democracy.

Though "representative democracy" wasn't yet a common phrase at the time, it is exactly what they built.

  • James Madison (Federalist No. 39): "The House of Representatives derives its powers from the people... It is strictly a representative democracy."
  • Thomas Paine (Rights of Man): "Representative democracy is government by election."

The Stop Sign:

Every time you see one, remember:

  • Pure Democracy: Every citizen votes on each stop sign. Streets drown in debates; nothing gets built.
  • Pure Republic: A cabal installs signs unchecked. Protest? Ignored. Elections? None. Tyranny wins.
  • Representative Democracy: Elected leaders place signs. Hate their work? Scream at them. Protest. Run against them. Fire them.

The Brutal Truth

The psittacists parrot "republic not democracy" as if it's profound. It's not. The Founders fused both into a representative democracy—a republic where power flows from the people, not a throne.

They feared mobs, yes. But they feared kings more. When critics cry "But the Constitution limits majority rule!", remind them: so do stop signs. Traffic controls aren't anti-driver—they prevent crashes. The Founders built lanes and guardrails, not roadblocks. That's why they gave us ballots, not guillotines, to correct course.

Which brings us to the psittacist; the pedant (Johnson's 1755 definition):
"A man vain of low knowledge; a man awkwardly ostentatious of his literature; one who lays undue stress upon the exact observance of trivial rules."

Many of the world’s most infamous dictatorships and human rights abusers call themselves “republics.” The “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” is a totalitarian hellscape. The “Islamic Republic of Iran” jails women for their hair. The “People’s Republic of China” surveils and censors a billion people. The “Syrian Arab Republic” gasses its own citizens.

If words have meaning, those countries prove “republic” is no guarantee of freedom.

The pedants are correct, however: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people" wasn't in the Constitution. Yet there's no better definition of American democracy.

So the next time someone insists 'republic, not democracy,' ask them: Then why does our Constitution begin with "We the People"?