Republic or Democracy?
From http://dictionary.reference.com — (I think probably more spun than true, so less than helpful – check other dictionaries & comment): de?moc?ra?cy noun,?plural?-cies. 1. ?government?by?the?people;?a?form?of?government?in?which?the?supreme power?is?vested?in?the?people?and?exercised?directly?by?them?or?by?theirelected?agents?under?a?free?electoral?system. 2. ?a?state?having?such?a?form?of?government:?The?United?States?and?Canada?are democracies. 3. ?a?state?of?society?characterized?by?formal?equality?of?rights?and privileges. 4. ?political?or?social?equality;?democratic??spirit. 5. ?the?common?people?of?a?community?as?distinguished?from?anyprivileged?class;?the?common?people?with?respect?to?their?political?power. re?pub?lic noun 1. ?a?state?in?which?the?supreme?power?rests?in?the?body?of?citizens?entitled to?vote?and?is?exercised?by?representatives?chosen?directly?or?indirectlyby?them. 2. ?any?body?of?persons?viewed?as?a?commonwealth. 3. ?a?state?in?which?the?head?of?government?is?not?a?monarch?or?other hereditary?head?of?state. 4. ?(?initial?capital?letter?)?any?of?the?five?periods?of?republican?government?in France.?Compare?First Republic,?Second Republic,?Third Republic,?Fourth Republic,?Fifth Republic. 5. ?(?initial?capital?letter,?italics?)?a?philosophical?dialogue?(4th?century?b.c.)?byPlato?dealing?with?the?composition?and?structure?of?the?ideal?state. …