Is the US a representative democracy?

Answer 1

Federalism

Federalism was the Framers' response to the weakness of the original government of the United States. Under the Articles of Confederation, power was distributed among the States, which remained sovereign, while the national government was almost powerless. Though they recognized the problems with the earlier system, the Framers did not want to convert to a unitary system like that of Great Britain.

Like separation of powers, federalism divides the authority of the government. Under the new federal system, the national (or federal) government was given control over some matters while the States were given authority over others. The States and the federal government share responsibility over some areas, including taxation (both have the right to tax).

Federalism is a compromise between the centralism of the British system and the loose affiliation of the Confederation period. Although the States retained much of their earlier authority, the Constitution made some significant changes. Most importantly, the federal government became the only sovereign entity: only the federal government can declare war and negotiate with other countries.

Answer 2

YES. The United States is a Presidential Republic, which is a type of representative democracy (also called indirect democracy).

Democracy encompasses any form of government in which the people have the ability to choose their leaders or laws. There are direct democracies, which are where the people themselves vote on laws, and indirect democracies where the people have the ability to choose their leaders, who in turn vote on the laws. Presidential Republics, which include the United States and large parts of Latin America, ave governments where all citizens over a certain age can vote for political parties that sit in Congress as well as voting for a President who is the chief executive. This makes the United States an indirect democracy. In Presidential Republics, there is a clear delineation between the legislative and executive branches.