The United States of America is a Republic

As stated in the Pledge of Allegiance, the U.S.A. is a Republic. People commonly refer to the U.S.A. as a democracy, but if fact, our nation is a Democratic Republic.

In a democracy, every citizen has equal "power" in the decision making, and therefore it requires full participation of all citizens in the legislative process of the government. This is impractical both in that the physical location of a large nation makes it impossible for all citizens to meet, and individual citizens would need to be educated on each issue and be willing to commit the time to participate.

In a republic, citizens elect representatives in government to make legislative decisions on their behalf. This is a constitutional form of government, where elected representatives have defined powers and responsibilities, but are not a ruling class.

James Madison described the differences between a democracy and a republic in many of his Federalist Papers writings. Below are a few excerpts.

"Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would, at the same time, be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions.

"A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking. Let us examine the points in which it varies from pure democracy, and we shall comprehend both the nature of the cure and the efficacy which it must derive from the Union." - James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 10

"It is that in a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in person; in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents. A democracy, consequently, will be confined to a small spot. A republic may be extended over a large region." - James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 14

"If we resort for a criterion to the different principles on which different forms of government are established, we may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is ESSENTIAL to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans, and claim for their government the honorable title of republic." - James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 39

"In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself." - James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 51

Our government defined "Democracy" and "Republic" in the 1928 U.S. Army's Training Manual No. 2000-25 as follows:

"Democracy:
-A government of the masses.
-Authority derived through mass meeting or any other form of "direct" expression.
-Results in mobocracy.
-Attitude toward property is communistic -- negating property rights.
-Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate, whether it is based upon deliberation or governed by passion, prejudice, and impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences.
-Result is demagogism, license, agitation, discontent, anarchy.

Republic:
-Authority is derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted to represent them.
-Attitude toward property is respect for laws and individual rights, and a sensible economic procedure.
-Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and established evidence, with a strict regard to consequences.
-A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass.
-Avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy.
-Results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment, and progress.
-Is the "standard form" of government throughout the world.

A republic is a form of government under a constitution which provides for the election of (1) an executive and (2) a legislative body, who working together in a representative capacity, have all the power of appointment, all power of legislation, all power to raise revenue and appropriate expenditures, and are required to create (3) a judiciary to pass upon the justice and legality of their governmental acts and to recognize (4) certain inherent individual rights."