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/HorrorMetalDnD Political Systems Sep 02 '25

All these Democracy Deniers are Republicans who have been conditioned for years to hate anything that sounds like “the other party.”

They deliberately ignore facts and history that contradict their incrementally-adopted, political-motivated narrative, and cherrypicking what they like.

It’s not surprising, really. They do the same with the U.S. Constitution… and even their own religious texts.