A democracy or a republic? History shows that some Americans are asking the wrong question

Is the US a democracy or a republic? That’s a misleading question, writes a historian of early America. The values of republicanism and the values of democracy have both been vital to the nation.

By: Barbara Clark Smith, Smithsonian Institution, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 4, 2026

Words: 1,407

Last Updated: 1 month, 4 weeks ago

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By Barbara Clark Smith, Smithsonian Institution

As the nation observes its 250th birthday, historians can help settle one present-day dispute: Is the United States a democracy or a republic?

For years, advocates have argued the point.

Yet the question itself is misleading. It assumes that the categories constructed by political theorists neatly describe actual practice.

As a historian of early America, I know this nation has always been unwieldy, its institutions …

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