Why do Americans often say the U.S.A. is a democracy?

You are correct, the United States is a republic, not a democracy. Americans say that it is a democracy because the vast majority of Americans are retarded.

That's right...the US is a republic. Were it a democracy, Al Gore would have actually been elected in 2000 and we would not be at war in Iraq.

You have convinced me.

I'm For Gore 2008! Overthrow the Republic!! Be Democratic!!

Except for the Electoral College and the Supreme Court (in the 2000 election) it is a Represetative, as opposed to Direct, Democracy.

The US is a republic, and also a representative democracy.

While the United States is not a direct democracy, it is a representative democracy.

The concepts of Republic and Demcracy are two separate concepts

All Democracy means is one man one vote as opposed to voting in the estate system where landed Aristocracy, Clergy and Commoners comprised of three estates each estate getting one vote regardless of how numerous each estate was.

Republic means the power of the government derives from the governed...as opposed to some God or Heaven..

American Democracy : Here are two Ivy League Grads... Pick One.

we're basically just picking the same rich white guy every time.

in america, there is no such thing as true democracy. once people wake up to this idea, maybe (MAYBE) things could change for the better.

AmericanDemocracy! wrote:

American Democracy : Here are two Ivy League Grads... Pick One. we're basically just picking the same rich white guy every time. in america, there is no such thing as true democracy. once people wake up to this idea, maybe (MAYBE) things could change for the better.

What? Reagan, Carter, Nixon, Johnson, Eisenhower, and Truman were not born rich, nor went to Ivy schools. Clinton wasn't born rich, either.

I guess you're talking about Bush and Kennedy, as white, Ivy League, and born rich.

Neuropscyhiatrist wrote:

The concepts of Republic and Demcracy are two separate concepts

All Democracy means is one man one vote as opposed to voting in the estate system where landed Aristocracy, Clergy and Commoners comprised of three estates each estate getting one vote regardless of how numerous each estate was.

Republic means the power of the government derives from the governed...as opposed to some God or Heaven..

Separate, but not mutually exclusive. We elect our Federal legislative branch by direct vote, and most other levels of government are, as well. That's the democracy part. The people we elect make (or enforce, at the state and local levels) the laws on our behalf. That's the representative part.

Jimmy Hoffa wrote:

That's right...the US is a republic. Were it a democracy, Al Gore would have actually been elected in 2000 and we would not be at war in Iraq.

Thank God for the electoral college.

The US is indeed a Republic. Iraq, on the other hand, is a Democracy.

Jimmy Hoffa wrote:

That's right...the US is a republic. Were it a democracy, Al Gore would have actually been elected in 2000 and we would not be at war in Iraq.

awwwwww, poor guy. you're still dwelling on 2000? get a life

You Yanks don’t know when you’re well off.

Here’s one chap who admires American democracy - it might not be perfect, (what is) but compared with what passes for democracy here in Britain - I tend to agree with him

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=505963&in_page_id=1772&in_author_id=322

Democracy sounds nicer than a republic and most people don't know the difference. In a true democracy every single person takes part in the political process. Certainly not the case here.

No to 2012 wrote:

You Yanks don’t know when you’re well off.

Here’s one chap who admires American democracy - it might not be perfect, (what is) but compared with what passes for democracy here in Britain - I tend to agree with him

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=505963&in_page_id=1772&in_author_id=322

Actually, frankly, many of us do know that we are well-off and don't just accept the Dumocrapic mantra that everyone should be given a job for life, a house with a mortgage bail-out option, free healthcare no matter how badly you neglect your health or how much it ultimately costs the US taxpayer with no fiscal "gatekeeper" in place, and a guaranteed pension. Many of us know just what US productivity gains have meant to the rest of the world, as well as the US, what it takes to sustain a relatively low level of unemployment under 5% (unlike old guard Europe's double-digit employment), and the best method of raising the standard of living ON AVERAGE for the greatest number of people possible. Many of us appreciate the Republic, because, in a true Democracy, every undereducated, uninformed idiot gets a vote.

Jimmy Hoffa wrote:

That's right...the US is a republic. Were it a democracy, Al Gore would have actually been elected in 2000 and we would not be at war in Iraq.

Are you that naive? Freedom of information act has allowed for all the recounts and guess what?...BUSH WON!!! It was Gore who tried to "steal the election!" get on with life and learn your country's government so you will understand how fair it is. It is much better than a pure democracy!

Talk talk talk wrote:

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Are you that naive? Freedom of information act has allowed for all the recounts and guess what?...BUSH WON!!! It was Gore who tried to "steal the election!" get on with life and learn your country's government so you will understand how fair it is. It is much better than a pure democracy!

Are you stupid??????????? Do you know how many of those votes weren't counted(chads)????? Oh, btw they were black people.

RepDem wrote:

The US is a republic, and also a representative democracy.

This is the best description. Additionally, many local issues are decided by direct democracy.