I spend whole class periods discussing the differences between a republic and a democracy. One can have either one and not have the other.

But when these terms are used rhetorically, as it is by most Americans, it is in reference to the American Constitutional system. https://twitter.com/TheRocsWorld/status/1362053008314490885

The shift in the language happens in the mid-19th century but becomes mainstream in the early 20th century. But one can be in a democracy that isn't governed by laws or live under a rule of law not generated by majority participation.

Not to mention, what most people like about the American system is the liberal elements within its government, and less about the labyrinthian system for making laws and limiting the power of majorities or giving legitimacy by 50% plus 1 vote in any given election.

But when people want to be pedantic about it - and this happens too often - I like to correct them and say the Constitutional system is a liberal, federated, democratic republic. And all of those words are tension with one another.

We essentially have constructed a form of government that is a series of magnets where we have pointed the positive ends toward one another but the repulsive forces are held together by an outside force from American character. Our character is well suited to this system.