My point exactly. Republic is such a broad term it can mean almost anything, from Islamic to Communist. And the original Res Public was Rome, where leaders were elected by the people but had to come from the noble class.
What differentiates us is that we are democratic, in the Jeffersonian sense of all citizens being equal, and government coming from the consent of the governed. That’s how “democracy” is used in today’s English, not a reference to Athens style direct majority rule. That’s how Scalia used it, and how I use it. Arguing that “we are not a democracy, we are a republic” just confuses things.
>>>”that’s how “democracy” is used in today’s English, not a reference to Athens style direct majority rule. ......... Arguing that “we are not a democracy, we are a republic” just confuses things.”<<<
Spot on.
Good to read clear thinking.