Why can't the Roman Republic be considered a democracy?

Question

Why can't the Roman Republic be considered a democracy?

Answer 1

In a Democracy, everyone votes on topics and issues.  In a republic, people vote for the people who vote on the issues.

Answer 2

The Roman Republic was not a democracy because democracies are different from Republics.

According to the writer Polybius (a Greek living in the Roman Empire), the genius of Roman Republic was that it combined the three typical forms of government: democracy, oligarchy, and monarchy, into one government. The Consuls represented executive power like the monarch, the Senate (a body of distinguished men with political influence) was an element of oligarchy. And the right of all citizens to vote, and the power of the legislative assemblies, were elements of democracy.

Polybius believed each form of government had its faults. For example, democracies gave the people a lot of power, but people are sometimes fickle or make decisions about things they don't know enough about. So the Republic balanced the power of the people with the power of the Senate and Consuls, who were expected to be more knowledgeable about government issues (the people in turn, would balance these by keeping them from using their power is ways that hurt the people).

So, at least according to Polybius, the Republic put checks and balances on the different forms of government, like democracy, by combining it with others.  

Answer 3

define "democracy". Ancient Athens is called the first democracy, but women, slaves, poor people, foreigners etc could not vote/participate in government, which would hardly be considered democratic by modern standards. The problem is definition - the Roman class system and elitist attitudes meant that modern democracy was impossible, even if the people had wanted it/it had been politically advantageous. Which it wasn't.