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To put a finer point on it: actual experts in the study of government routinely refer to the US as a democracy. It’s absolutely not a sign of better familiarity
by vundercind 2y ago
To put a finer point on it: actual experts in the study of government routinely refer to the US as a democracy. It’s absolutely not a sign of better familiarity with the topic to “correct” that usage—it’s a sign of low side of middling familiarity, specifically.
- DANmode 2y agoDebate whatever you want, we do not have a direct democracy, which is what most people hear when they hear "Democracy". It's Representative Democracy. Supposedly.
- vundercind 2y agoThat isn’t what most people think of when they hear “democracy” in the context of describing countries like the US as a democracy. Lay-usage and expert usage are in accord here. It means more-or-less liberal and with voting that significantly affects how the state runs and/or who runs it. That’s all, and that usage doesn’t confuse anyone. If we didn’t use “democracy” for that we’d just have to come up with something else, because it’s a very useful term to have. But everyone just uses “democracy” and that works great.
- DANmode 2y agoIt's what a nonzero number of Americans hear. You're talking to one, who knows others. Democracy as defined is a goal we have. Not something all (maybe most!) Americans would claim to enjoy.
- vundercind 2y agoYou mean you thought tejohnso believes the US is a direct democracy, because of that post?
- DANmode 2y agoThey, like many others, probably have a somewhat fuzzy grasp on what the meaning of word democracy is, due to the way it's used. Honestly, I can't even think of an alternate(, but still charitable,) interpretation of: "Shouldn't it be very easy to vote to fix that in a democracy?" Suggest one, if you can?
- dragonwriter 2y agoGoalposts shift from > most people to > a nonzero number of Americans Holy motte and bailey, Batman.
- DANmode 2y agoWhy don't you keep this thread on-topic, and reply to: > "Shouldn't it be very easy to vote to fix that in a democracy?"
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- dragonwriter 2y ago> we do not have a direct democracy, which is what most people hear when they hear "Democracy". That hasn't been the dominant use of the term for centuries, but, sure, you keep pretending.
- DANmode 2y agoNo, you're right, we're bringing (federated republics with some vestige elements of) democracy ALL OVER THE WORLD!
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- dllthomas 2y agoIt's a federated representative democracy with some issues, some of the components of which have some level of direct democracy. It is also a republic. It could be a republic even if it was a pure direct democracy somehow without "issues" - in fact I struggle to see how a direct democracy without issues could be something other than a republic.
- DANmode 2y ago> some of the components of which have some level of direct democracy. What, HOAs?
- dragonwriter 2y agoState level initiative and referenda processes.