The Death of Socrates

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

and to the Republic for which it stands,

one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." 

In the Pledge of Allegiance (above) we all pledge allegiance to our Republic, not to a democracy. "Republic" is the proper description of our government, not "democracy."

A republic and a democracy are identical in every aspect except one. In a republic the sovereignty is in each individual person. In a democracy the sovereignty is in the group.

Sovereignty is the quality of having an independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory.  It can be found in a power to rule and make laws that rests on a political fact for which no pure legal definition can be provided.

Republic is a form of government in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in the people and are exercised by the people, either directly, or through representatives chosen by the people, to whom those powers are specially delegated.

Democracy is a form of government in which the sovereign power resides in and is exercised by the whole body of free citizens directly or indirectly through a system of representation, as distinguished from a monarchy, aristocracy, or oligarchy.

The distinction between our Republic and a democracy is not an idle one. It has great legal significance.

The Constitution guarantees to every state a Republican form of government (Art. 4, Sec. 4). No state may join the United States unless it is a Republic. Our Republic is one dedicated to "liberty and justice for all." Minority individual rights are the priority. The people have natural rights instead of civil rights. The people are protected by the Bill of Rights from the majority.

In a pure democracy 51 beats 49[%].

In a democracy there is no such thing as a significant minority: there are no minority rights except civil rights (privileges) granted by a condescending majority. Only five of the U.S. Constitution's first ten amendments apply to Citizens of the United States.

Simply stated, a democracy is a dictatorship of the majority. Socrates was executed by a democracy: though he harmed no one, the majority found him intolerable.