Democratic republic what does it mean

However, not every republic is democratic and not every democratic country is a republic. For example, the historical city-state of Venice had a leader known as a doge who was elected by voters. In the case of Venice, though, the voters were a small council of wealthy traders, and the doge held his position for life. Venice and other similar mercantile city-states had republican governments, but as you can see, they were definitely not democratic. At the same time, the United Kingdom is a democratic country that has a monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and so it is not a republican country because it is not officially a republic.

The earliest records of the English word republican go back to the late s. For a time, ancient Rome had a republican government with elected magistrates before the establishment of the Roman Empire.

While they helped create the term we now use, the actual first republican government is believed to have been in India. While the two major political parties we know today have been around awhile, the names of the major two political parties have changed over the centuries.

George Washington won the elections of —89 and and served two terms as US president. Interestingly, the political party of Thomas Jefferson is actually the original source of the names of both modern political parties. These Democrats would officially take the name the Democratic Party in , although the modern Democratic Party officially uses the Democratic National Convention of as its creation date. The initialism GOP that is still used today is credited to newspaperman T.

Dowden, who used it in when he was running out of room in an article. We are commonly taught that democracy is a product of ancient Greece. The city-state of Athens is credited with implementing a system of government of and by the people, whereby eligible citizens would congregate to make decisions. That system of government, better understood today as direct democracy , lives on in the United States in the form of ballot initiatives and referenda.

Some states and localities afford their citizens the right to use these measures to directly enact, change, or repeal laws themselves. More commonly, we exercise our political power in a different way: by voting in elections to choose our representatives. These scholars understood representative democracy — the American variety — to be democracy all the same. The United States is a republic because our elected representatives exercise political power.

History also tells us that Rome was a republic, unlike Athens. When its monarchy was overthrown, Rome developed a republican system of government whereby citizens elected officials who were empowered to make decisions for the public.

Below are resources social studies teachers can use to assist students in understanding the complexities, nuances, and their rights within the United States as a democratic republic. What Is The Electoral College? I believe that it is extremely valuable to have a Democratic Republic to ensure that everyone is heard. This type of Republic looks at all sides and allows everyone to have an equal vote that is heard and taken into account.

Having a democratic republic allows for a more fair and simple election process. Being mixed between the two objectively has its advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to the popular vote having more of a direct impact, many people feel that the electoral college is not needed, however, populations are not necessarily representative across areas of every state, and this limits one area from holding too much power or say over the rest.

It also provides clarity on the individual parts that make up the definition of a Democratic Republic. I really like how many Representatives, Senators and electors make up the electoral college. I also love how our country falls back on our constitution and I think other countries should take a similar approach to governing.

This is a very difficult concept to get your head wrapped around, and tends to cause issues in the voting population.

This is not true because, even if it does not directly effect who is elected your voice is still being hear. It is also incredibly important to realize that not all elections are held this way.