# In America **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america/109105 "2002-05-14T22:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snetho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Snetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snetho)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america/109105/1 "2002-05-14T22:50:18Z")
Do we in America have a Democracy or do we have a Constitutional Republic? ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america/109105/2 "2002-05-14T23:05:26Z")
Do we have _direct_ democracy? No; for the most part, we don’t vote on laws ourselves. We elect representatives to do this for us. As such, you can call the US government a “representative democracy” or a republic. Either way, we’ve got a constitution, so we’re a Constitutional _something_ any way you slice it. At least, that’s my understanding of it. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america/109105/3 "2002-05-15T02:20:01Z")
All of the above, but I usually find the term “democratic republic” most fitting. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-america/109105/4 "2002-05-15T02:48:25Z")
Well, we are a republic, right? The governance of the United States is “for the people, by the people,” right? Resolved: the United States of America is a “People’s Republic.”