What's the difference between a democracy and a socialist republic?

Question

What's the difference between a democracy and a socialist republic?

Answer 1

McCain= democracy, Obama= socialist republic simple answer

Answer 2

Democracy most often means some system which combines majority rule with protections for minority opinions. Actually-existing democracy protects the rulers but allows some input from the people, with more input in less important matters.

A pure majoritarian system allows 51% to abuse 49% of the population, and tends towards centralism, a pure consensus system tends towards decentralism and even anarchism.

A socialist republic is (1) socialist - it is either controlled by the workers or, in theory, on behalf of the workers and (2) a republic - it defines certain matters as public matters (rei publicae) and others as private matters. Actually-existing republics are states, which claim authority over public matters, and redefine private matters as public matters.

(As for myself, I am an anarchist; I desire socialism without any kind of statism.)