The United States is a democracy, but not a direct one (Myth). Although each branch of government derives its power from majority rule or approval - executive, legislative, judicial, and monetary - the people do not vote for them directly. America, then, is not truly a democracy, but is a republic. A constitutional republic is a type of democracy. In a direct democracy, the people vote directly on proposed laws, and the government serves only to put these laws into action. A republic is a representative democracy, and laws are passed not by the people themselves but by their elected representatives.
In this republic, the people vote for their Senators and Representatives, who, in turn, vote on the laws (Myth). The people vote on a slate of electors, who then vote for the president. The Supreme Court's nine justices vote on the constitutionality of laws. An elected president nominates the Supreme Court justices, who must pass a vote of confidence from the people's elected Senators. The people's elected representatives vote on amendments to the Constitution, which must pass by a supermajority of elected state legislators. The elected president nominates Cabinet officials, who must pass a vote of confidence from the people's elected Senators. A board of Federal Reserve governors votes on monetary policy. The elected president nominates members of the Federal Reserve Board, who must pass a vote of confidence from the people's elected Senators.
In the above examples, the most direct type of democracy occurs in the House of Representatives, where legislators are elected from relatively small districts every two years (Myth). On the Republican side, is the Senate, which elects legislators from much larger states every six years. On the Extreme Republican end is the Supreme Court, where the people's representatives elect justices to lifetime tenure. There can be no such things as 100 percent democracy, because voters ...