text: Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution promised to every state in the union a republican form of government. Forces that opposed the concept still exist today in, I believe the ideology of the American left.\nSome speculate the work of Lincoln began the demise, others the 17th- amendment. My personal research indicates text books went from Constitutional republic and referred to America as a democracy in 1949. American Government, by Frank Magruder Ph.D.  published by Allyn and Bacon.\n\n"A pure democracy can admit no cure for the mischiefs of faction.  A \ncommon passion or interest will be felt by a majority, and there is \nnothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party.  \nHence it is, that democracies have ever been found incompatible with \npersonal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, \nbeen as short in their lives as they have been violent in thier \ndeaths." -- James Madison.\n"Democracy is four wolves and a sheep voting on dinner." -- Robert A. \nHeinlein