Friday, October 31, 2008

We have a constitution in the United States.

Our system isn’t what the textbooks call “pure” democracy. We are a constitutional republic.
A republic is a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people) have impact on its government. The word originates from the Latin term res publica, which literally translates as "public thing" or "public matter".

A Republic , is a political system where the head of state and other officials are democratically elected as representatives of the people, and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government’s power over citizens, thus preserving those citizen’s authority from which government’s power ultimately arises.

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It provides the framework for the organization of the United States Government. The document defines the three main branches of the government: The legislative branch with a bicameral Congress, an executive branch led by the President, and a judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court.

Under this system, there are certain things, often specifically stated in the constitution, that the government simply cannot do. What they can do is regulate constitutional rights, within the framework of that constitution, through the will of the people of the United States of America and our representatives.

We will have a new President, hopefully on Nov. 5th, who respects that.

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