Good points all. I would suggest a distinction in your post 57; “Which is why we are not a democracy …” It seems, the country began as a republic, but lost that status in 1913 with constitutional amendment 17, direct election of senators. (That year also brought the income tax, and the Federal Reserve Bank.)
Amendment 17 rendered us more democratic, but not all the way. The electoral college and lifetime appointment for judges remain to this day. Not that I necessarily care for the supposedly independent judiciary, but it certainly isn’t a democratic institution, despite how they keep pretending to move with “the times” and be an organ of the people.
The democratic legislature was nevertgeless kept within more or less firm limits, and one or two are still kicking, at least before the war socialism of WWI and of course the New Deal.