{"product_id":"democracy-or-republic-the-people-and-the-constitution-9780844750514","title":"Democracy or Republic?: The People and the Constitution","description":"In recent years, the Constitution has become a\u003cbr\u003esource of political controversy between conservatives and progressives. While\u003cbr\u003ethe right defends our founding document, the left argues that it's an\u003cbr\u003eantiquated plan of government that goes against basic principles of democratic\u003cbr\u003esovereignty.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat's missing from this debate is an\u003cbr\u003eappreciation for the Constitution's purpose. What kind of government were the\u003cbr\u003efounders trying to achieve?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn his new book, \u003ci\u003eDemocracy or Republic? The\u003cbr\u003ePeople and the Constitution\u003c\/i\u003e, Jay Cost provides insight into that question.\u003cbr\u003eHe argues that the founders' vision was for a republic, not a democracy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn both types of government, the citizens have\u003cbr\u003ethe power to rule, but republics go further than this. A republic, as Abraham\u003cbr\u003eLincoln put it, is a government \"of the people, by the people, for the people.\"\u003cbr\u003eBut in a simple democracy, the majority can rule for the good of themselves, \u003cbr\u003erather than the whole community. How do you place the people in charge without\u003cbr\u003ecreating a democratic tyranny? By the time of the American Revolution, nobody\u003cbr\u003ein the history of the world had yet answered this question.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut America's Founding Fathers did just that, \u003cbr\u003eand the Constitution reflects their ingenious solution--the idea of consensus.\u003cbr\u003eThey created a government that would take action not because a narrow and\u003cbr\u003efleeting majority demands it, but because a large, broad, and considered\u003cbr\u003ecoalition of the people has found common cause with one another. This reflects\u003cbr\u003ethe true opinion of the people, not just a faction that is temporarily in\u003cbr\u003epower. That is how government of the people becomes government for the people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmerica, then, is not merely a democracy. It is\u003cbr\u003esomething greater. It is a republic, built on the ideal of consensus. And while\u003cbr\u003eour country today has many problems, consensus remains the best way to solve\u003cbr\u003ethem. Far from being a liability for the United States, the Constitution is\u003cbr\u003estill its greatest asset.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e AEI Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/03\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780844750514\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 175\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.90lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.20h x 6.20w x 0.80d","brand":"Jay Cost","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43150276034741,"sku":"9780844750514","price":21.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_e90c2d25-155e-46b0-9cd3-634f518f4892.jpg?v=1696345121","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/democracy-or-republic-the-people-and-the-constitution-9780844750514","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}