I think the meanings of “democracy” and “republic” are as misunderstood as the unintelligible 2nd Amendment. Based upon the things I’ve learned from Thom over the years, I would like to offer yet another way to look at what is a “republic” and what is a “democracy,” as well some of the “so what” of it. I think that we can regard our rep…
I think the meanings of “democracy” and “republic” are as misunderstood as the unintelligible 2nd Amendment. Based upon the things I’ve learned from Thom over the years, I would like to offer yet another way to look at what is a “republic” and what is a “democracy,” as well some of the “so what” of it. I think that we can regard our republic to be the organizational structure and processes for decision-making in our representational democracy, and our “democracy” determines how we employ the republic’s infrastructure and decision-makers to meet their constitutional purpose based upon the rule of the people. A republic can be democratic, autocratic, plutocratic, or, in the case of the Trump years, run by kakistocratic grifters (where incompetence meets corruption). Regardless of their labels, they are all just terms for those who might rule our republic kind of government. In our democracy, our citizens are supposed to have equal rights to choose, support, and collaborate with our elected decision-makers, and from that collaboration, our elected leaders get to decide how to best promote our general welfare. You could say that the purpose of our republic is to deliver democracy to our fellow citizens.
I think the meanings of “democracy” and “republic” are as misunderstood as the unintelligible 2nd Amendment. Based upon the things I’ve learned from Thom over the years, I would like to offer yet another way to look at what is a “republic” and what is a “democracy,” as well some of the “so what” of it. I think that we can regard our republic to be the organizational structure and processes for decision-making in our representational democracy, and our “democracy” determines how we employ the republic’s infrastructure and decision-makers to meet their constitutional purpose based upon the rule of the people. A republic can be democratic, autocratic, plutocratic, or, in the case of the Trump years, run by kakistocratic grifters (where incompetence meets corruption). Regardless of their labels, they are all just terms for those who might rule our republic kind of government. In our democracy, our citizens are supposed to have equal rights to choose, support, and collaborate with our elected decision-makers, and from that collaboration, our elected leaders get to decide how to best promote our general welfare. You could say that the purpose of our republic is to deliver democracy to our fellow citizens.