The Differentiating Factor, Constitutional Republic Vs Democracy

By Olivia Cross


It is common to have a republic and democracy used interchangeably despite there being fundamental differences. In a constitutional republic vs democracy debate, fundamental issues distinguishing these two forms must be explained. While republics accord citizens fundamental rights that cannot be alienated, democracies rely on the whims of the majority in total disregard of minority wish.

It is the interaction between government powers and the rights of individuals that differentiates republics from democracies. The fact that it is majority who exercise power in both cases is not contested. The effect this power and rights have on the minority differentiates these two government systems. In both cases, there is representation into the government.

Democracies appear to give absolute right to the government of the day. This allows the majority rulers to alter the constitution or laws based on their desires. This means that as long as a majority government is in power, it has free will over all the citizens regardless of their political affiliation. This leaves the minority in a vulnerable position.

Republics have constitutions or charters that protect the certain rights from alteration or abuse. These rights are inalienable which means that the government of the day cannot violate them. This is one fundamental difference between the two systems of government. Pure democracies give free will to the reigning government which means over exposure of the minority.

The majority is omnipotent in democracies which allows them to exercise absolute power at the expense of minority. This bully attitude continues until the situation changes in favor of minority. Republics have restrictions aimed at restricting the oppressive tendencies of majority governments. The process of altering inalienable rights is constitutionally defined and must involve the masses.

Constitutions and charters guarantee sovereignty in different formats depending on whether a nation is a democracy or a republic. In democracies, the entire population holds sovereignty as a group. This paves way for the majority to determine the extent of rights. This system of governance traces its origin to Classical Athens.

In a republic, sovereignty belongs to an individual and cannot be taken away by a majority government. This system of government has its origin in Classical Rome and comes with three separate branches or arms of government. An example is what is practiced in the United States of America.

Democracies are either direct or representative. An individual is given the mandate by the larger population to represent their interests in an electorate body in cases of representative democracies. This means that the representative is considered as the voice of masses. This representative votes on issues with his voice and opinion being considered to be that of his electorates.

Direct democracies operate in a different way. Each individual has a say in decision making on issues. This means that the masses make laws and determine government policies directly. A perfect example of this way of doing things is by voting or participating in referendums.

The existence of rule of law in US makes it a republic. It has a written law or constitution that guides representatives on how to act. This trend has been adapted in many nations with slight variations. The mixture of the two systems can be seen in cases where government hold powers to a certain extent while the populace also has a say on certain issues.




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