Defining 'democracy' and 'republic'

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in the Huntsman Seminar on Constitutional Government at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, attended by history and government teachers from schools across the state.

Because the Utah Legislature recently passed a law requiring that all children be taught that America is "a Constitutional Republic," attendees got into a discussion of just exactly what that meant. What is the difference between a republic and a democracy?

Go to the dictionary. A democracy is a state (or group) where power lies directly with all of its members. A current example of a democracy is a neighborhood organization in which every family has a vote on every action taken. There are currently no countries in the world that operate this way.

A republic is a state (or group) where governmental power resides in people who have been chosen out of the group. The United States of America is one; power is given to members of Congress and the president. The People's Republic of China is one, too; power is given to members of the Politburo and its officers. Most countries operate this way.

But there are very clear differences. In America, those who hold power are chosen by an elective process in which every citizen over the age of 18 can participate. In China, those who hold power are chosen by officials of the Chinese Communist party.

So, through common usage, the word "democracy" has taken on a second meaning in order to differentiate between divergent republics. Republics where the people can vote on who their representatives will be are called democracies; republics where they can't are not. America's government can be described as a republic in form with elections that are democratic in spirit. The original Constitution mandates the former, and amendments to it insure the latter.

Nonetheless, our children should know that the first definition of "democracy" — people voting directly on laws — does exist in America. Many states, including Utah, have an initiative process. Issues that would be decided by the Legislature in a pure republic are put before the people for a vote, as in a pure democracy. This is particularly true in California, where the ballot initiative has become a way of life and the results have been catastrophic.