We are looking at the wrong thing in the pledge.

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

I'll give you a few seconds to see if you can catch the odd mistake, if it is one.


This is something me and my fellow peers must say everyday during homeroom. Yet, while everyone rants about how it talks about god in it, I discovered something different.

"And to the republic, for which it stands"

A republic, but I thought we were democratic. If you really think about it, this wasn't a mistake, our government is really a republic. So why do we try so hard to fight for democracy, when we aren't one ourselves.

I think the meaning of republic in the pledge is the one where people elect their own representatives. I used to think we were wrong in saying we were a republic, but my aunt (who's a polictical junky) gave me a talk about this and I now see how the US is a republic.

So we are a republic and not a democracy, so then why do we always talk about it?

Democracy is a general term for any type of government that allows for the people or common citizens to have a say in the goings on of the government. The United States is a Constitutional Republic. Meaning that the laws are created and the people are governed by a preset document stating the goals and rights of the citizens of this country, the constitution. The republic part means that we the citizens have a say in what happens to / with / in our own government. This happens by electing officials to do what we ask them to do. This is the original idea and the way the government was set up on paper by our fore fathers. This is a form of Democracy and our country advocates other countries following our example in creating governments run by the populous. I hope this answers your questions sufficiently. This is a general summary of how the government is set up and works you should do more research and also read the constitution for exact answers to specific questions. This will help you be a more informed citizen when it comes time to vote and participate in our government.