Clinton on Trump presidency: ‘He’s been even worse than I thought he would be’

Since neither of us sourced materials, I decided to venture a look to see how the United States shapes up.

I think we are both right in our own ways. Democracy, like many other things, exists on a spectrum: the Democracy Index. The highest tier is called a "Full Democracy," while the lowest tier is called, "Authoritarian." When I use the term democracy, what I think of is a full democracy. A system that nineteen other nations have. The United States is classified in the second tier, as a "flawed democracy."

So, you are correct, in that the terms are not mutually exclusive.

But this is sort of what I meant by "democratic republic," which apparently can be synonymous with a "representative democracy." We democratically elect representatives in our republic. So, I understand your meaning. It would have been better if I specifically worded my statement with the phrase "full democracy," which we are not. Thank you for correcting the wordage, and introducing me to the Democracy Index.

/r/politics Thread Parent Link - thehill.com