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| − | The slogan '''"a republic, not a democracy"''' refers to the difference between [[direct democracy]] and [[representative democracy]].
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| − | The distinction is between [[direct democracy]] in which everyone votes, and the majority rules; and a [[representative democracy]] in which executives are elected to rule the people.
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| − | The [[ancient Greeks]] had direct democracy, i.e., the people voted, and the decision of the majority prevailed. Some New England town meetings are like that. In some U.S. states, a proposition will go on the ballot and be decided by voters directly, but this is rare; see [[legislature]].
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| − | Although the slogan is used by some to alert listeners to the particular kind of [[democracy]] which the [[United States Constitution]] provides, it is misleading because the phrase "not a democracy" implies that representative democracy is not a democracy at all - a notion which most political scientists would reject as nonsense.
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| − | [[Category:United States Political Slogans]]
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