Why do people call governments what they aren't?

Question

Ok so some people call the U.S. a democracy when we are really a republic. Democracy is just an idea that has never been reached. We are however getting closer to being a democracy ever day. Communism is another one. There has never been a communist government. Communism is another idea that has never been realized. The governments we call communist are actually socialist governments which are completely different things. So why do people call some governments a type of government that they aren't?

Answer 1

trying to control the masses

Answer 2

your leaders would like you to believe you are free and in control when really you are the one under their control

Answer 3

Why did Lincoln refer, at the end of his speech, to "... government of the people, by the people, and for the people, ..." instead of refering to "... government of the elected representatives and the electoral college, by the elected representatives and the electoral college, and for the people, ..."?

I've seen it said over and over again that there is an important difference between a democracy and a republic and that most people do not seem to know what the difference is. I DO know what the difference is, but I simply do not think that the difference is important.

Answer 4

The word republic was used by people who rejected a monarchy, as we did at the time or the American Revolution.  Republic is from a Latin word which means rule by the people.  President Jefferson who was a Greek scholar attempted to point us toward the Greek ideal of democracy.  When the violence of the French Revolution discredited the word "republic", we began dropping the use of the word republic.  The Republican party began calling itself the Democratic Republican Pray and finally just called themselves the Democratic Party.  By the time of the pre-Civil War period, it was no longer a dirty word.  When the Whig Party died, a new anti slavery party formed, and they dared to call themselves the Republicans.