Doug Robinson: The United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy

To The Daily Sun,

Many people casually call America a “democracy,” but that’s not quite right. The United States was deliberately founded as a constitutional republic — a system designed to protect liberty by balancing majority rule with individual rights.

The founders worried that pure democracy could quickly turn into mob rule. James Madison warned that democracies “have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention ... incompatible with personal security or the rights of property.” In other words, if the majority always gets its way, the minority has no protection.

Instead, the Constitution created a republic: a government of laws, not of men. Citizens elect representatives, but those representatives are bound by the Constitution. John Adams put it plainly: “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself.”

This is why there are checks and balances, the Bill of Rights, and institutions like the Electoral College. These guardrails ensure that even unpopular voices are heard and that government power is limited. Alexander Hamilton argued that “real liberty is neither found in despotism nor in the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments.”

Even when challenged — whether by calls to abolish the Electoral College or presidents stretching executive power — the republic’s guardrails hold. Checks, balances, and constitutional limits pull authority back, ensuring liberty survives beyond temporary political storms.

So when readers hear “America is a democracy,” remember: it’s more accurate to say we are a constitutional republic. That distinction matters, because it explains why rights don’t vanish just because someone's outvoted. The founders built a system to protect freedom for everyone — not just the majority.

Doug Robinson

Laconia