It's not meant to be read as "democracy the form of government versus republic the form of government". "Democratic" and "Republican" are just brand names in th

It's not meant to be read as "democracy the form of government versus republic the form of government". "Democratic" and "Republican" are just brand names in this case; both parties believe in democracy (popular voting) and republicanism (representative government). When people say "democrat vs republican" it's just shorthand for "The political organization known as the Democratic Party vs. the political organization known as the Republican Party." You can substitute the names of political parties from your own country as a reference.