If you look closely at the United States Pledge of Allegiance, you'll see that it calls the

United States a republic. It reads: "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." So what does that mean, exactly? Can the United States be
both a democracy and a republic? And what is the difference between a democracy and
republic, anyway?

As it turns out, there are subtle, but important, differences between a democracy

and a republic, and that the definitions aren't mutually exclusive. In other words,
it's complicated. But don't worry! Knowing the differences between a republic vs a
democracy is important for tons of AP exams, including both history tests (U.S. and
world) and both government and politics tests (U.S. and comparative). That's why we've
put this guide together for you.

By the end of this article, you'll know the definitions of a democracy and a
republic, how they operate, the differences between them, and where the United
States fits into the discussion.

So let's get started!

What Is a Democracy?
The term "democracy" comes from the combination of two Greek words: "demos,"
meaning "the people," and "kratia," which means "power or authority." Thus, a
democracy refers to a type of government where the power to govern rests with a
country's people rather than a ruling family (a monarchy) or a single individual
(totalitarianism). That means that citizens control how their government operates,
usually through voting.

The Origins of Democracy

The term "democracy" first pops up in the 5th century BCE to refer to the
government in Athens, Greece. Between 508 BCE and 322 BCE, Athenians governed
themselves in what is now referred to as a pure democracy. (Don't worry...we'll go into
that a little later.)

Ancient Athenians didn't have anyone to represent them in government; instead,

everyone had a voice—literally. Debates on topics of governance were held publicly
in what was referred to as The Athenian Assembly, and every male Athenian
citizen had individual voting rights. Not only that, but qualified citizens were given
time off of work and a stipend to help make sure every voice was heard! Through the
Assembly, every voice could weigh in on every issue, and all laws and rules of
governance were established based on majority rule.

While this type of democracy would eventually be replaced by a more representative

form of government, the underlying idea—that government works best when it's
run by its citizens—would go on to influence the governance of most of the
Western world, including the United States.