The small difference between a republic and a democracy is that in a republic, sovereignty remains with the individual.
What is so unfortunate is that the ideals of a sovereign nation, national ideals, and responsibility to other than self ie civics, are no longer emphasized in school curriculum. Within an experiment such as America, there is room for give and take. Lets be honest we all gravitate to the circumstances to empower us at any particular point in time. But does that negate the need for understanding how sovereign ideals in mass should not allow a person to shout, "Fire " in a crowded theater.
The whole reasoning behind the Electoral College was to protect the vote of the individual in the case of a majority forming that may try to vote in laws that threaten the individual’s rights. Yes and no, have you considered how Jim Crow laws and codes were established to serve as a tool to disenfranchise former slaves throughout the Southern states. And not to pick on the South, the term Redlining refers to a mechanism of the communities and political entities of Northern states to restrict the sovereign rights of citizens to live comfortably wherever they choose. I am a strong proponent of a national identity and controlled borders as most empires collapse from internal forces as well as external forces.
Make America American Again, I will never understand at what point in time America became less than great. We are still the predominate country that people risk their lives to flee to, we lead the world in charity, and we have matured above cultural and ethnic tensions that have resulted in wars in other countries. As mentioned earlier , America is still an experiment. Ron