The United States is a Democracy.

[yiostheoy]

Yes? No? Discuss.

To be technically correct, a democracy is when you vote directly on an issue such as a ballot proposition or referendum. The Greeks invented democracy in ancient Athens. It was like all the free males were in the city council and they all voted on everything, then the city chief (archon etc) carried out the will of the voters.

The Romans invented the republic in which all the old patricians either belonged to or inherited a seat on the Senate. Then they did the voting for the city. The USA is more like a Roman Senate than like a Greek democracy, therefore we are called a "republic". In our republic we elect representatives, senators, and the presidential/vp ticket. At the Federal level that is more like a republic than a democracy. Since the states, counties, and cities have ballot measures, they are much like a democracy, however with republic-like leadership. So at the local levels it is more of a hybrid.

Since our Federal legislature (the Congress) is not making any progress nor has it made very much over the past several years, I would like to see the Fed level become more democratic. Then at least there would be resolution by the will of the people.

Of course that would first require a Federal amendment for the people to be able to do the Legislature's job.

The Founding Freemasons never intended that to be. That's why they set up the Congress.

However the Congress is no longer working. Under the two party system they cannot agree on anything.

GW Bush gave everyone more tax cuts especially for the rich.

BHO gave everyone health care coverage and took back some of the tax cuts for the rich but not all of it.

Unless Hillary gets a completely DEM Congress, or Donald gets a completely GOP one, nothing is going to happen or change at all.

 

[yiostheoy]

Simple. A pure democracy is an entity that is totally governed by the rule that .... the majority rules.

In that case, the Supreme Court is a democracy.

It was meant to be. That doesn't mean that all facets of government follow the majority rule. Some things do...some things don't. Some things require 60% vote of the Senate. Some things require a majority of those present (quorum).

So Supreme Court = Democracy
Senate = Not Democracy.

The SCOTUS is a high tribunal like the Spartan Ephors. They each had 1 vote.

The Senate is like the Roman Senate. They also had 1 vote.

The House Of Reps is like a watered down Roman Senate based on population under the big state / small state compromise.

The POTUS is an administrator like a Greek Archon or a Roman Consul.

That's what we are "like".

 

[JimBowie1958]

Yes? No? Discuss.

The USA is not a democracy.

We are a Constitutional Republic that elects most of its most powerful officers by a democratic process and the top office by a democratic electoral process.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Unless Hillary gets a completely DEM Congress, or Donald gets a completely GOP one, nothing is going to happen or change at all.

Congress not 'getting anything done' is most often a good thing.

No mans happiness, property, liberty or life are safe while Congress is in session.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Yes? No? Discuss.

The United States is a Republic that operates off of Democracy principles. Meaning the majority rules.

In a republic there is no majority rules
Representatives are chosen democratically well except for the president and those representatives can enact legislation that the majority of the country doesn't want

 

[JimBowie1958]

In a republic there is no majority rules
Representatives are chosen democratically well except for the president and those representatives can enact legislation that the majority of the country doesn't want

Which they frequently do in order to solicit more campaign donations from corporations.

 

[FA_Q2]

Poor question really as the United States Government is a massive entity that entails a lot of different functioning parts. Some of those need more democracy IMHO - some need less. I think we need to return the senate to what it was originally supposed to be - representative of states interests (less democracy there) but also get rid of the electoral college in presidential races (more democracy there) as it serves no real purpose other than to pigeon hole the states that matter and shift my vote to someone that I do not want it to go to.

I would also like to see our election process changed massively so that it is able to reflect more accurate voting. I would love to see a tiered voting system where you can vote for your candidates in the order that you would like them to receive your vote. I think that would remove the stigma for voting independents and third parties giving us a democracy that was much more representative rather than the false duopoly that we currently have.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Poor question really as the United States Government is a massive entity that entails a lot of different functioning parts. Some of those need more democracy IMHO - some need less. I think we need to return the senate to what it was originally supposed to be - representative of states interests (less democracy there) but also get rid of the electoral college in presidential races (more democracy there) as it serves no real purpose other than to pigeon hole the states that matter and shift my vote to someone that I do not want it to go to.

I would also like to see our election process changed massively so that it is able to reflect more accurate voting. I would love to see a tiered voting system where you can vote for your candidates in the order that you would like them to receive your vote. I think that would remove the stigma for voting independents and third parties giving us a democracy that was much more representative rather than the false duopoly that we currently have.

Valid observations considering that we have even Republican appointed judges who think the Constitution is irrelevatn today.

Why Don’t Law School Professors Have Practical Experience These Days?
And on another note about academia and practical law, I see absolutely no value to a judge of spending decades, years, months, weeks, day, hours, minutes, or seconds studying the Constitution, the history of its enactment, its amendments, and its implementation (across the centuries—well, just a little more than two centuries, and of course less for many of the amendments). Eighteenth-century guys, however smart, could not foresee the culture, technology, etc., of the 21st century. Which means that the original Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the post–Civil War amendments (including the 14th), do not speak to today. David Strauss is right: The Supreme Court treats the Constitution like it is authorizing the court to create a common law of constitutional law, based on current concerns, not what those 18th-century guys were worrying about.

In short, let’s not let the dead bury the living.

 

[Claudette]

Last I heard the US of A is a Republic.

 

[SwimExpert]

Simple. A pure democracy is an entity that is totally governed by the rule that .... the majority rules.

In that case, the Supreme Court is a democracy.

It was meant to be. That doesn't mean that all facets of government follow the majority rule. Some things do...some things don't. Some things require 60% vote of the Senate. Some things require a majority of those present (quorum).

So Supreme Court = Democracy
Senate = Not Democracy.

The SCOTUS is a high tribunal like the Spartan Ephors. They each had 1 vote.

The Senate is like the Roman Senate. They also had 1 vote.

The House Of Reps is like a watered down Roman Senate based on population under the big state / small state compromise.

The POTUS is an administrator like a Greek Archon or a Roman Consul.

That's what we are "like".

 

[Two Thumbs]

Yes? No? Discuss.

It's not, it's a Constitutional republic.

and we need WAY less democracy.

over tired of our rights being voted away to suit a small group of butt hurt people.