It may surprise you to learn that the United States is not a pure “democracy.” The framers of the U.S. Constitution chose not to create a democracy. Instead, they established a republic. Democracy is a form of direct popular government. The people vote on and, accordingly, directly decide all important issues. A republic, in contrast, is a form of government, as originated in ancient Rome, in which the people elect representatives who make the laws for the people.

To most of the framers, indirect lawmaking through representatives was preferable to direct popular lawmaking. Democratic and republican forms of government share an important feature: The authority to govern rests in the hands of the governed, not in the hands of the governors. The two differ in how that authority is exercised. In a democracy, it is exercised through direct popular vote.

In a republic, the people’s sovereignty is exercised through their elected representatives. In a republic, accountability of those who govern is checked in several ways, the most significant being periodic elections. Today, the United States can best be characterized as a democratic republic or a constitutional republic because most laws are made through elected representatives, but popular referenda are also used to make law in many jurisdictions.