This country is not a democracy and never was. It is a republic of states. Unfortunately, ever since FDR, the power of the state has been diminished and we’ve become a federalized society. All problems that should be handled by the states are now turned into a federal issue. We all need to repeat - we are not a democracy and were never intended to be.
I agree with one exception. It was Lincoln who began the downfall of state’s rights. Before the War of Northern Aggression, folks said “The United States are” after the War, it became “The United States is”. Roosevelt surely put his stamp on it, but it began 70 years earlier.