So if America still had a constitutional republic, what would happen now?

[ClayTrainor]

Okay,

I still don't really understand the difference between a constitutional republic and a democracy.

I've heard many people such as peter schiff, state that we need to return to a free republic as the founders intended.

How would this election be any different if we had the government the founders intended? Please be specific, i really want to understand the difference between democracy and a republic.

[0zzy]

Okay,

I still don't really understand the difference between a constitutional republic and a democracy.

I've heard many people such as peter schiff, state that we need to return to a free republic as the founders intended.

How would this election be any different if we had the government the founders intended? Please be specific, i really want to understand the difference between democracy and a republic.

I don't know what he was referring to.

Perhaps the fact that 1st would be President, runner up would be Vice President?

We still have a democratic Republic. States' electors vote.

[gls]

This link has a good explanation: http://www.democracyisnotfreedom.com/

[brandon]

In a constitutional republic there is a constitution that you follow.

In democracy there is no guiding document, just mob rule.

For example, in the old constitutional republic of America, the constitution made it clear that the federal government did not have the authority to redistribute wealth.

In the new democratic America, as long as a majority of the reps and senators vote for something, it becomes law.

[heavenlyboy34]

If you read the Federalist papers, they say that a republic is the most practical for a group of people dispersed over a large land mass. The theory being that by keeping interests as "local" as possible by having local representatives be "the people's voice", citizens will be properly represented by having like-minded folks representing their interests.

(At that time, there were no special interest lobbies like AIPAC-which they could not have foreseen)

[ClayTrainor]

This link has a good explanation: http://www.democracyisnotfreedom.com/

This site has some great reading, im going spend some time on here for sure :cool:


In a constitutional republic there is a constitution that you follow.

In democracy there is no guiding document, just mob rule.

For example, in the old constitutional republic of America, the constitution made it clear that the federal government did not have the authority to redistribute wealth.

In the new democratic America, as long as a majority of the reps and senators vote for something, it becomes law.

This is a great explanation and really helped further my understanding. So basically, America does still technically have a constitutional republic but, the representatives and senators are allowing democracy to takeover?

[ClayTrainor]

If you read the Federalist papers, they say that a republic is the most practical for a group of people dispersed over a large land mass. The theory being that by keeping interests as "local" as possible by having local representatives be "the people's voice", citizens will be properly represented by having like-minded folks representing their interests.

(At that time, there were no special interest lobbies like AIPAC-which they could not have foreseen)

now what exactly is a lobby? this is someone / a group who simply has money, and throws it at public officials to aid their agenda?

[Doktor_Jeep]

Democracy is getting to decide who has sex with your wife and you still have to pay for the hotel room.

In a real republic, it would not matter so much who got elected, because whoever it was would have little power.

People miss the point, arguing over who will do what when they are elected, because our original system was intended that nobody would have to FEAR over an election, that being that case, when such people get elected you have to worry about what they are going to do to you.

This is as much as fault of the people, who use government to rob and coerce people to get money in their pocket and have things run according to whatever dysfunction they want everyone else to suffer under.

[Dr.3D]

now what exactly is a lobby? this is someone / a group who simply has money, and throws it at public officials to aid their agenda?

I believe lobbyist is just a fancy name for a person or group of people who bribe government officials. It is supposed to sound better than a briber.

[ClayTrainor]

I believe lobbyist is just a fancy name for a person or group of people who bribe government officials. It is supposed to sound better than a briber.


perhaps this is a better question:

how would a lobbyist define themselves?

[bill50]

How would this election be any different if we had the government the founders intended? Please be specific, i really want to understand the difference between democracy and a republic.

Well we wouldn't have had an election between Obama and McCain that's for sure. They would be hanging from the gallows for treason along with the majority of their counterparts.

[Number19]

Okay,

I still don't really understand the difference between a constitutional republic and a democracy.

I've heard many people such as peter schiff, state that we need to return to a free republic as the founders intended.

How would this election be any different if we had the government the founders intended? Please be specific, i really want to understand the difference between democracy and a republic.You are confused and trying to compare apples to oranges. "Constitutional Republic" describes a political form that society takes. It says nothing about how the representatives of that government are chosen. They could very well be appointed by local leaders. Democracy describes how the representatives of government are selected, and describes how "laws" are decided upon. The old Soviet Union was a, somewhat, limited form of democracy, although it was one-party democracy. Town hall meetings are a local form of democracy where citizens can decide and vote on local political policy.

A Republic is a political "state" comprised of smaller political units, where most of the power resides, bound by an agreement, a constitution, which delineates the division of power. The larger political unit is subordinate to the smaller political units.

In American history, the strongest advocate of Republicanism was Thomas Jefferson. His adversary and political foe was Alexander Hamilton, who advocated a strong Federal government, with very little little power delegated to the local and state governments - known as Federalism.

Despite popular opinion, we are not a Republic. Our political system, as it is now practiced, is Federalism, directly descended from Hamilton and not Jefferson.