In 500 BC in Athens, Greece, the Athenians established what historians consider to be a “pure democracy”. Let’s take a look at an example of democracy. Join the group of young conservatives on my email list, and stay in touch!ĭemocracies and republics have this in common: the people are the driving force in government. So what is a republic? What is a democracy? What is the difference? And why did America’s Founding Fathers form a republic rather than a democracy? Powell of Philadelphia right after the Constitutional Convention, America is “a republic, madam – if you can keep it” (Metaxas, p. Today, our modern attempts at labeling America a democracy seem narrow and shallow.Īs Benjamin Franklin told a certain Mrs.
The founders were uniquely suited to synthesize the most modern forms of government during the 1700s with aspects of ancient Israelite government, Aristotelian philosophy, and even English parliament. Contrary to popular belief and media, America is a republic. I hate to burst your bubble, but America is not a democracy. You might be thinking, “They made a democracy… America is a democracy!” They could have formed any type of government: an oligarchy, a monarchy, a democracy, a dictatorship, etc. They got to raise a “baby government” and shape it into whatever they wanted. The founders of America had one of THE most unique opportunities in history: the Founding Fathers were able to pick a republic vs.
