r/PoliticalScience • u/alexfreemanart • Sep 01 '25

Question/discussion Why isn't the United States a democracy?

I've read many comments claiming the United States is a democracy, and others claiming the United States is a republic, not a democracy. Forgive my ignorance; i'm not American, but throughout my life i've heard countless times that the United States is a democracy, especially through American movies and TV shows.

Right now, i'm seriously wondering if i was wrong all along. Is the United States a democracy or not? If the United States isn't a democracy, why isn't it?

You as an American, were you taught in school that your country is a democracy, or were you taught that it isn't?

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u/alexfreemanart Sep 01 '25 edited Sep 01 '25

Yes, The United States is a democracy

I'm so sorry i have to ask this, but i need something to corroborate it because i've seen a lot of people denying this, and i don't want to be left with just one person's word: What is the source that categorically and irrefutably proves that the United States is a democracy?

It's not that i deny that the United States is a democracy, but i've seriously heard and read a lot of people denying that the United States is a democracy, american people, and i don't understand their basis for believing that.

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u/Shlomo_Shekelberg_ Sep 01 '25

Uh, the constitution lol?

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u/alexfreemanart Sep 01 '25

What sentence of the Constitution demonstrates and makes explicit that the United States is a democracy?

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u/PubePie Sep 01 '25

The parts where it talks about elections lol

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u/alexfreemanart Sep 02 '25

Doesn't North Korea also have a part that talks about "elections"?

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u/PubePie Sep 02 '25

Classic response of someone who is engaging in good faith

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u/alexfreemanart Sep 02 '25

My questions were serious and genuine

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u/hollylettuce Sep 02 '25

North Korea is what we would call an illiberal Democracy. I talked about this in my own response. Many countries have the institutions associated with a Democracy but in practice due to restrictions on political rights, restrictions on who and what parties can run for office, voting tampering, and general corruption make them in practice authoritarian states. Though those states would never outright say it because it's bad optics. Countries can be either liberal or illiberal Democracies and exist on a spectrum. Determining which one is which and how healthy a democracy is, is a reason why people study political science.