I understand the technical difference. But conservatives usually deploy this argument as an excuse to ignore the will of voters or generally ignore votes that were cast for something they don’t like.
My point is that neither system functions without votes being cast, counted, and respected. Neither a democracy or a republic will stay as such if the will of the voters is consistently ignored or reversed.
Exactly, and they're never arguing in good faith from a principled position. If votes are going their way then democracy is working as intended. If they aren't it's time to remember we're a republic and democracy is bad, actually.
In my state we pass constitutional amendments via direct democracy (citizen petitions that bypass the legislature and are approved via simple majority). Conservatives hate it because voters keep approving progressive policies on the general ballot and their supermajority in the legislature can't just ignore the will of the people like normal.
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u/Sheepdog44 1d ago
I understand the technical difference. But conservatives usually deploy this argument as an excuse to ignore the will of voters or generally ignore votes that were cast for something they don’t like.
My point is that neither system functions without votes being cast, counted, and respected. Neither a democracy or a republic will stay as such if the will of the voters is consistently ignored or reversed.