One of the many evergreen arguments in US politics is the nature of the Federal Government, whether it is a republic or a democracy. Part of the issue is that it is never explicitly stated in the Constitution, and neither concept is described well in the research I've done as of late.
After a recent reading of the Constitution, I've focused in on Article 4, Section 4, as a guide post of what was intended in the founding.
Section 4 - Republican government.
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
Primary Question
Is there a historical or current piece of Constitutional scholarship that reads the first portion of that clause as a pact between the Federal Government and the States, assuring that the Federal Government will be a republic?
If the above can't be substantiated, is one of the following conditions true?
- Does the preponderance of scholarly work reflect something else?
- Is it among the many clauses of the Constitution that hasn't yet been fully analyzed?
*Editorial Note: While I've selected an answer as accurate, the answer I've posted with an opposing view will remain. I like the references it leans on. *
