A constitution protects the rights of all people from the will of the majority. At the time, there was no term for a representative form of government created “by the people” rather than by a king. Instead, the citizens would elect a mayor and city council to handle these issues in their place. Democracy is a form of government, while republic refers to a political system, which is based on the equality of all inhabitants of that state. The word democracy dates back in English to around 1525–1535. Had the Constitutional Convention been held two generations later, the framers of the U.S. Constitution, having been able to read the new constitution of Britain, might have decided that the British system with an expanded electoral system might allow America to meet its full potential for democracy. Even when the delegates of the United States Constitutional Convention debated the question in 1787, the exact meanings of the terms republic and democracy remained unsettled. But it’s essential to note the people who are able to vote in Athens only included certain non-enslaved Athenian men, making this direct democracy very different from the way we understand democracy today. There’s a reason why the American founders created a republic, and not a democracy. For those who still choose democracy over a constitutional republic… Republics and democracies both provide a political system in which citizens are represented by elected officials who are sworn to protect their interests. Put simply, in a pure democracy, the majority truly does rule and the minority has little or no power. Let’s brush up on these two words to see what they have in common—and what sets them apart. The word republic is first recorded in English 1595–1605. Bet You Can’t Guess Where The Word “Glamour” Comes From, A Smack Of Jellyfish, A Zeal of Zebras, And Other Fun Animal Group Names, The Forgotten Verses Of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. A democratic republic is a form of government operating on principles adopted from a republic and a democracy.Rather than being a cross between two entirely separate systems, democratic republics may function on principles shared by both republics and democracies. As in the United States, most republics function as blended “representational democracies” featuring a democracy’s political powers of the majority tempered by a republic’s system of checks and balances enforced by a constitution that protects the minority from the majority. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/republic-vs-democracy-4169936. Both republic and democracy are forms of governments a state can adopt for its administration. “Pagan” vs. “Wicca”: What Is The Difference? A democracy is defined as “government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.” A nation with this form of government is also referred to as a democracy. The US can be called a federal presidential constitutional republic or a constitutional federal representative democracy. There is quite a difference between the two forms of government, democratic and republic. Today, some U.S. states empower their citizens to make state laws through a form of direct democracy known as the ballot initiative. It is formed by the people, for the people and of the people. Exercise that right to vote, whether by mail or in person. In the United States, the Constitution assigns this function to the U.S. Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. ThoughtCo. It comes from the Latin rēs pūblica, meaning “public thing,” characterizing that a state is ultimately run by its people—as opposed to monarchy or tyranny. The Republic of Venice, a mercantile city-state of the Middle Ages, was led by a doge who was elected by wealthy merchants and served until his death. In a democratic republic such as the USA, citizens vote directly for representatives to executive and legislative office. What Does “Amen” Mean At The End Of A Prayer? Another major difference lies in the constitution. Advertisement - story continues below If you are eligible to vote—vote. When such a type of government is established, the positive attributes of the previous government are retained whereas, the negative attributes are changed. In everyday speech and writing, you can safely refer to the US as a democracy or a republic. In most republics, there are reserved seats for representatives of the minority. Understanding the difference is essential to comprehension of the fundamentals involved. Indeed it becomes even more difficult to distinguish the two particularly when our quest to understand the difference produces other words such as ‘federal republic’. Republic is a standard form of government which constitutes power, to the people, but only to those in the government. Instead, citizens vote for leaders to do the work of governing for them. The general public is the priority of democracy. But this democracy vs. republic argument thing has suddenly become a topic of importance, at least judging from the number of people throwing … Generally, a new type of government is established when its earlier alternative fails to fulfill the needs of citizens. It comes from the Greek dēmokratía, meaning “popular government.” Ancient Greece was home to what most consider to be the oldest form of democracy, the city-state of Athens. Main Difference. In its 1967 Loving v. Virginia ruling, the Supreme Court overturned all remaining state laws banning interracial marriages and relationships. The concept of democracy can be traced back to around 500 BCE in Athens, Greece. The main difference is that in the case of democracy the majority rules, whereas in a Republic the Government rules according to law. When such a type of government is established, the positive attributes of the previous government are retained whereas, the negative attributes are changed. The constitutionally-granted power of the judicial branch to overturn laws made by the legislative branch illustrates the unique ability of a republic’s rule of law to protect the minority from a pure democracy’s rule of the masses. The difference between democracy and republic is complicated. Is that possible? Instead, it is a hybrid democratic republic. The major difference between a democracy and a republic is that a republic is a form of government whereas a democracy is an ideology that helps shape how a government is run. In Athens, the people (Greek, dêmos) held the power (Greek, krátos) and made the decisions for their society—forming a dēmokratía. As a republic’s most unique feature, a constitution enables it to protect the minority from the majority by interpreting and, if necessary, overturning laws made by the elected representatives of the people. What you should take away in the confusion (or debate) over democracy vs. republic is that, in both forms of government, power ultimately lies with the people who are able to vote. Our system is republican in that the Founders understood that the … Its citizens vote (or “vote”) on a single candidate. For nearly 500 years, ancient Rome was a republic before it became ruled by emperors. There are dozens of the political system under the practice in different countries of the world, which are depending upon the easiness and comfortability of their people with respect to the law. Let’s revisit our municipal sewer/road matter. A representative democracy would not have each and every citizen of a town directly vote on whether to fund a sewer system or road repairs. We don’t blame you for confusing these two terms. 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. "Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference?" Difference between Democracy and Republic is explained here in detail. According to Madison, “The two great points of difference between a democracy and a republic, are: first, the delegation of the government, in the latter, to a small number of citizens elected by the rest; secondly, the greater the number of citizens, and greater sphere of country, over which the latter may be extended.”. Some parliamentary and constitutional monarchies behave as republics but not democracies. Because citizens govern the state through their representatives, republics may be differentiated from direct democracies. You probably hear countries like the United States or France referred to as democracies. Definition and Examples, The Warren Court: Its Impact and Importance, Due Process of Law in the US Constitution, Direct Democracy: Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons, The Supreme Court Case of Gibbons v. Ogden, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia: The Case and Its Impact. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Democracy and Republic. And there most certainly is a tyranny of the majority that always manifests in democratic style systems.