The United States as a Democracy Thomas Jefferson once wrote in the Declaration of Independence: “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with their rights Creator endowed with some inalienable rights which include life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Today, this quote stands tall in defining and describing the type of government the United States has created for the people. A democracy is a supreme power vested in the people and exercised directly by them or their elected agents in a free electoral system. The United States of America should be classified as a democracy due to many of its many democratic characteristics due to examples ranging from something as small as checks and balances to something as serious as the First Amendment. However, in some cases, the United States falls into the category of an oligarchy. An oligarchy is similar to a democracy in many ways; both are governments that govern with a few. The only difference is that an oligarchy tends to favor or take into account the advantage of the rich over the poor. In many cases, these oligarchies are controlled by a few powerful families. In this article I will assert that the United States is a democracy, with some characteristics of an oligarchy, and I will provide references to support my claim. To be more specific, the United States... middle of paper... ...has a long way to go to reach where it is now, and every day new laws evolve that provide security and benefits to poor. If the United States had any other form of government, it simply wouldn't work. If there was a monarchy, there could be a risk of having a dictator similar to Adolf Hitler or Fidel Castro. It is not a very optimistic idea to place all people's trust and concerns in the hands of one person. If an oligarchy were the main form of government, many of the middle and lower class incomes would suffer greatly, and those of the rich as well. In an oligarchy the few who govern make decisions based on their own beliefs, not those that benefit the people. The sixteenth president of the United States explains the government of this nation simply as “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.."