• gregorum@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    41
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    11 months ago

    A republic is a type of democracy. This guy is an idiot. 

    • yata@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      45
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      11 months ago

      No, republic just means that the role of head of state isn’t hereditary. Lots of dictatorships are republics, some democracies are as well. The actual political system of the USA is representative democracy (in theory at least).

      The fact that these terms are so muddled in the minds of the average American is completely deliberate, because it makes it so much easier for them to subvert US democracy when people have been told that the US is not one.

      • Ludwig van Beethoven@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        republic /rɪˈpʌblɪk/ noun a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

        from one of those Oxford ones

      • rhombus@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        11 months ago

        There are a couple definitions. One I’ve heard most is a republic has a citizen as head of state, which disqualifies both monarchies and military dictatorships. Another is that the head of state is elected or nominated, which disqualifies non-representative systems entirely.

        • yata@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          13
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          edit-2
          11 months ago

          That is why it is technically a republic, but not in practice. The constitution says it is a republic, and they actually have an election for the role of head of state, well “election”, but of course in practice that is not how it works at all.

          The US is also technically a representative democracy, but in practice, well…

      • Z3k3@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        15
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        11 months ago

        It’s not just a Republic its a people’s Republic.

        So you know like way better. That’s why they don’t need elections it already says it belongs to the people