If you’ve ever felt like something isn’t quite right about how decisions are made in the United States, you’re not alone. From left to right, Americans have a nagging suspicion that the promises of “We the People” ring a little hollow in practice. The banners of democracy wave high, but beneath the surface, is there something else pulling the strings?
Let’s start with a fact that many overlook: America is not a democracy. It’s a Constitutional Republic. That distinction matters. A democracy operates on majority rule, where the 51% can dictate terms to the 49%. In a Constitutional Republic, the rights of the individual are safeguarded from the whims of a majority, thanks to the rule of law. So why do so many people—especially those on the Left—insist on calling America a democracy?
It might not be a simple mislabeling. Some argue that this persistent framing serves a purpose: to concentrate power in the hands of a few while cloaking it in the language of collective choice. It’s not just semantics; it’s a battle over the narrative of what America is and should be.