“Among the classical authors, the common opinion was that a democracy would eventually choose as a ruler a tyrant who promised them what they wanted. Then he would subject them to what he wanted. The American founders understood this problem, which is why they founded a republic, not a democracy.”
Rev. James V. Schall, S. J., teaches political science at Georgetown University.
Actually, they founded a confederacy, and then expanded its power later to a consolidated republic. Of course, the individual states were republican in form already. Anyway, didn’t the notion of “pure” democracy go out with the city-state? Nowadays when people say democracy, they merely mean the right to vote for the leaders of their choice.