Waffler, perhaps you transposed "republic' and "democracy"? After all, the pledge of allegiance is "..to the Republic for which it stands.." And Article IV of the US Constitution says "The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government." And Benjamin Franklin called it a "Republic" after the constitutional convention. You might also check the dictionary. But don't feel bad- our own politicians (and myself in the past) refer to it as "democracy".....