Is the USA a democracy?

[Beet]

There is the formalistic definition of a democracy as a system of government with electoral government. In that sense, the US is a democracy.

Then there is the informal definition that most people think of, which is the more amorphous concept of "rule by the people." In the latter sense, America is arguably not a democracy and was not designed to be one, and the Republicans are right when they point this out.