According to Webster's New World Dictionary, democracy is defined as "a government in which the people hold the ruling power." It seems to be the only type of government anyone (or Americans, at least) cares about. Every country should be a democracy; because if every country was a democracy, the world would be fair. Countries in the Middle East should be run by democracy, because that would solve their problems. Right? Communist nations, which America has had so much disagreement with in the past, need democracy. Democracy is the best kind of government, because everyone gets an equal say and equal rights. Other countries should be more like the United States of America, and America is a democracy; or is it?

To find that answer, one should look to what the founding fathers of the U.S. said about democracy: Thomas Jefferson said "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” Benjamin Franklin defined democracy as "Two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." John Adams said "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." The list goes on. The point is, America is not a democracy--it is a constitutional republic. In the Constitution of the United States, not once is the word democracy used. However, the constitution does in fact use the word "republic." And then there is the pledge of allegiance: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to its Republic for which it stands..." To its Republic--these words are recited by students every day, yet they miss the point. America is by no means a democracy.

So what is the difference between a democracy and a republic? Basically, pure democracy is mob rule, as Jefferson said. In a democracy, whatever the majority says is "right." Therefore, if fifty-one percent of a people were to suddenly claim stealing was no longer a crime, it would no longer be a crime. If they were to ban the freedom of speech, it would be banned. In a republic, a constitution is used and therefore there are certain laws that must remain without changing depending on a mob's flavor of the day (hence the term "constitutional republic"). This means thievery will remain a crime and freedom of speech will remain a right in the United States. In essence, democracy is based upon the latest opinion of the people, giving it a slippery foundation. A republic is based upon a constitution that, for the most part, does not change, giving a republic a much firmer foundation than that of a democracy. In turn, democracy tends to lead to either tyranny or anarchy--according to Greek philosopher Plato--and thus, as John Adams said, the democracy will kill itself.

The fact is the reason the words "democracy" and "republic" are confused so often is most likely because certain people want the words to be confused--specifically politicians. For example, if politicians can lead Americans to believe that the U.S. is based upon a democracy, and the distinction between mob rule and the U.S. Constitution is lost, the people of America will soon believe they can discard old laws if they believe taking this action will benefit them. For some, this makes for a very effective tool in fulfilling their political agenda. For example, the First Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights grants Americans freedom of speech. If the citizens of America believe they live in a democracy and that their votes are all-powerful, why not completely vote the First Amendment out of the Constitution? This could be what some political authorities want, and their goals may be achieved much easier if American citizens suffer from a bit of confusion about the structure of the U.S. government.

So when did the American definition of democracy begin to obscure? Since early in the nineteenth century, the American political party called the "Democratic-republicans" began to branch off into the parties known as "Democrats" and "Republicans"--the two parties that hold the most power in the U.S. today. It is possible that only several decades after the Constitution was written the distinction between democracy and republic was already being lost. However, the earliest account of Americans being misguided toward democracy that I could find was from the year 1933, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered the Training Manual No. 2000-25 to stop being printed and destroyed. This manual, created in 1928, was used to teach U.S. soldiers about the American government. It also described the difference between democracy and republic, talking down upon democracy. It explained that democracy leads to "mobocracy," and can even lead to Communism. In the 1930s, President Roosevelt ordered all copies destroyed. Why would one of America's most beloved presidents do such a thing? Perhaps changing the people's opinion of the U.S. government from republic to democracy was in Roosevelt's political favor, for what reason I do not know.

Overall, when it comes to defining the word democracy, I do not believe Americans have the definition necessarily wrong--most Americans realize democracy means the majority wins. However, Americans mistake the application of the word democracy every day. America is not a democracy. The founding fathers had a thorough comprehension of democracy, and they understood its flaws. But after years of being misled, the definition of democracy has morphed. To many, the word democracy is no longer the destructive form of government that the founding fathers dreaded, but rather a sign of hope to the world. They believe America is a democracy; but democracy is merely mob rule, which is where Americans are generally mistaken. Democracy will not provide the balanced and just form of society that a constitutional republic will.