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Old 05-10-2021, 08:09 AM
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Arrow “Democrat” vs. “Republican”: Where Did The Parties Get Their Names?

“Democrat” vs. “Republican”: Where Did The Parties Get Their Names?
By: Dictionary.Com
Re: https://www.dictionary.com/e/democrats-republicans/

A little re-educational data of substance:

In the United States, the words Democrat and Republican are widely used to mean the two major American political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

We often hear these words used to describe things the parties do or the people connected to them. For example, former Vice President Joe Biden is the Democratic candidate for president, and members of the Republican Party are often simply called Republicans.

The English words democratic and republican actually have long, complex histories that go far beyond red and blue states or donkeys and elephants. Let’s take a closer look at where these two words came from and how they came to be used in the names of the two political parties.

What does Democratic mean?

Starting alphabetically, the word democratic means “pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.”

Simply put, the lowercase democratic is a word used to refer to anything that resembles or has to do with a democracy, a form of government in which the supreme power rests with the people and is exercised by them directly or by politicians that they elect to represent them. In practice, this is usually accomplished through a fair, organized system of voting, in which citizens or representatives cast votes in support of political candidates (in elections) or societal issues (in referendums).

So, the word democratic is used to describe government systems that are or resemble democracies and the people that run these types of governments. The United States of America is a representative democracy in which the people elect representatives (mayors, governors, members of Congress, etc.) to perform the demands of politics on their behalf. This is why we say that the US is a democratic country or that we have a democratic form of government.

The English word democratic dates all the way back to the late 1500 and early 1600s. It is derived from the Greek word dēmokratía (“popular government”). The government system of the ancient Greek city-state of Athens, in which the people (dêmos) held the power (krátos), is considered the world’s first democracy. Considering that Athens was a patriarchal slave-owning society, its form of democracy was much different than the democratic governments of today.

So then - What does Republican mean?

The word republican means “of, relating to, or of the nature of a republic.” Similarly to the word democratic, the word republican also describes things that resemble or involve a particular form of government, in this case the government in question is a republic. A republic is a government system in which power rests with voting citizens who directly or indirectly choose representatives to exercise political power on their behalf.

You may have noticed that a republic sounds a lot like a democracy. As it happens, most of the present-day democracies (including the United States) are also republics. However, not every republic is democratic and not every democratic country is a republic.

For example, the historical city-state of Venice had a leader known as a doge who was elected by voters. In the case of Venice, though, the voters were a small council of wealthy traders, and the doge held his position for life. Venice and other similar mercantile city-states had republican governments, but as you can see, they were definitely not democratic. At the same time, the United Kingdom is a democratic country that has a monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and so it is not a republican country because it is not officially a republic.

The earliest records of the English word republican go back to the late 1600s. It comes, via French, from the Latin rēs pūblica, constructed from rēs (“thing or entity”) and pūblica (“public”). For a time, ancient Rome had a republican government with elected magistrates before the establishment of the Roman Empire. While they helped create the term we now use, the actual first republican government is believed to have been in India.

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Personal note: Often time we voters need to refresh our memories on the ideals of our American ideology. In short I've always hated politics - still do to this very day. We expect too much from our elected official's and once they are in office they have a Jeckel & Hyde nature - and since you're a freshman - you have little to say - other than Na or Yea.
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They will tend to tell you one thing - running for office - and once in office - your swayed far away from your ideals - into theirs. So now you've join their club with their variable principles of self precedence. You're issues while running for office - are no longer of importance - as the Senate majority has already set the standards - established by the ruling party leaders. You are but a statistic caught up in a club - built strictly on party principles - and your issues are no longer of interest - but they will require a majority - to even consider it - for a vote - should it ever arise.
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Dems or Reps - it makes no differences the lead horse's call the shots. You're either on the team - or you're isolated - and most likely never get re-elected by your state for lack of getting their issues addressed. Welcome to the Boy's Club!
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Boats
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Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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