As Donald Trump consolidates control over the Republican Party, our nation’s commitment to democratic principles has diminished. This decline is glaringly evident in the way some MAGA supporters attack anyone who dares to label the United States as a “democracy.” To them, this term signals a lack of constitutional understanding; “The United States is not a democracy,” they will insist, “it is a republic.”
This argument is based on their belief that “republic” and “democracy” are mutually exclusive concepts. However, being a republic means that our head of state is not a monarch (No kings!) and political power is derived from the people. The way we express that power is through democratic processes.
