Hacker News Reader

The United Stares is a constitutional republic and a representative democracy. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and a representative democracy. Democracy is not the opposite of a republic. Monarchy is.

View on HN

True as long as the representative democracy doesn’t infringe on the individual’s constitutional rights. That’s where the democracy bit gives way to the judicial branch. Of coarse with a politicized court you’re right back to the ills of a democracy.

What you’re saying is still true in a constitutional monarchy. Being a republic or democracy doesn’t matter. Its the constitutional part that’s important.

Republic and Democracy are not exclusive. There is no such thing as "being republic or democracy". It's really simple:

Monarchy: yes king

Republic: no king

Democracy: yes votes

Autocracy: no votes

Constitutional: yes constitution

Absolute: no constitution

You can have these in any combination.

Monarchy is a democracy with one voter.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com