America is what kind of government

It would be much easier if one word was absolutely correct and the other was not, but the terms are not mutually exclusive. The United States can be accurately defined as both a democracy and a republic. Share Tweet Email Copy and paste the text below, or send it in a new email message : People are always arguing about whether or not the United States is a democracy or a republic.

Well, here's the answer:. Yes, the United States is a democracy, since we, the people, hold the ultimate political power. This is where our history education might add some confusion. We are commonly taught that democracy is a product of ancient Greece. The city-state of Athens is credited with implementing a system of government of and by the people, whereby eligible citizens would congregate to make decisions. That system of government, better understood today as direct democracy , lives on in the United States in the form of ballot initiatives and referenda.

The foundation of our American Government, its purpose, form and structure are found in the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution, written in , is the "supreme law of the land" because no law may be passed that contradicts its principles.

No person or government is exempt from following it. The Constitution establishes a federal democratic republic form of government. That is, we have an indivisible union of 50 sovereign States. The presidency usually alternates between the two political parties.

However, there are other minority political parties. The minority parties are rarely given recognition. In very rare instances do the minority parties to form the government. The president is the head of the federal government of the United States. However, each state forms its government for administration purposes. The powers of the state governments are exercised within restricted state boundaries. The most powerful figures in the states are the governors. The federal government of the US has three branches: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.

The powers, roles, and limitations of the three branches are highlighted in the US constitution. The three branches of the government are as discussed below. The head of the executive branch of the federal government is the president.

The president is the most powerful figure in the government. She or he is both the head of the government and state.