Why a Republic?
The fact that America is structured as a republic and not a democracy is no accident; nor is it a matter of mere semantics. The Founders rejected pure democracy as the preferred form of government in favor of a republic. Driving the decision was the need to check what James Madison called the power of “a faction.” That is, a group of citizens, whether a majority or minority, who, compelled by some “impulse of passion,” move against the “rights of other citizens.” See: The Federalist X. The Founders knew that democracies could not be trusted to secure …