Democracy means rule by the people. Here it is presumed that the power to rule resides in the people (Sovereignty of the People). This is correct provided we understand the nature of "the people".

The people cannot be equated with the voters because there are those who cannot vote -- the unborn, the young, the dying, etc. Neither can the people mean those now living in the nation since from minute to minute the nation is changing. Some are on their way in (the unborn), other are on their way out (the dying).

So, who are the people?

"The corporate body of the people, is for the most part invisible and inaudible. Indeed as a whole it is nonexistent, in that so many are dead and so many are not yet born. Yet this corporate being, though so insubstantial to our sense, binds, in Burke's words, a man to his country with 'ties of iron'. That is why young men die in battle for their country's sake and why old men plant trees they will never sit under." (Walter Lippemann, The Public Philosophy, 1955, p. 35)

Further, "The people not being God, and being only what philosophers call a second cause, they are and can be sovereign only in a secondary and relative sense. It [the Church] asserts the divine origin of power, while democracy asserts its human origin. But as, under the law of nature, all men are equal, or have equal rights as men, one man has and can have in himself no right to govern another; and as man is never absolutely his own, but always and everywhere belongs to his Creator, it is clear that no government originating in humanity alone can be a legitimate government." (www.terrenceberres.com/broame.html) (Orestes A. Brownson, The American Republic, Origin of government--Conclued) The people although not the source of political power are the medium of all political authority, therefore, the government is first responsible to God and also to the people.

What is the purpose of government?

In the US Declaration of Independence we read: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, ...."

Here there is the recognition that human rights come from God. They are not given to the people by the government nor are they necessarily what the people think are rights. I would define a right as something owed to human beings because of the essential nature God has given them. The purpose of government is to protect and promote these natural rights.

Who represents the corporate nation?

Even though sovereignty resides in the people, as an aggregate of voters, they have diverse self-centered interests and opinions. They as a body cannot be counted upon to represent the corporate nation. (Lippmann, p. 37) The people by their vote choose the ruler but they have no right to command him. His duty is to uphold and promote the rights of the "corporate body" and to rule according to the Universal Laws of the Rational Order (Natural Law) (Lippmann, p. 46, 81) which to some extent are indicated in the Constitution. St. Thomas Aquinas defines Natural Law as the rational creature's participation of the Eternal Law of God. (Summa Part I or II, Q.91, Art. 2) Ultimately, the Ruler (President) is responsible to God for his decisions. President George A. Bush in the 2005 State of the Union address states correctly the following objectives:

"Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage."

"To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take
advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical."

Who Represents the Electorate?

This is the task of the House of Representatives and Sanate. Their task is to make known the desires and will of the people on many issues. But, when it comes to issues of Justice and Natural Law they are duty bound to make laws in conformity with the natural law. Many people and some legislators confuse Religious Belief with Natural Law. For example, abortion, same sex marriages and human cloning are issues of Natural Law which binds Christians, Jews and Moslems alike and all men of whatever faith because all men share the same nature. These are not issues of belief but of right reason in accordance with the nature of things God has established. The Catholic Church supports the dictates of natural law based on reason, not on belief.

The Supreme Court has been entrusted with interpreting the Constitutional Rights and in at least one case it has abused its power.

In the abortion case Roe v. Wade, Jan 22, 1973 the question was asked,

Does the Constitution embrace a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy by abortion?

The Court decided that the woman's right to an abortion was based on the Right to Privacy protected by the 14th amendment. But, since when does the Right to Privacy take precedence over the Right to Life guaranteed also by the Constitution? Rights follows from the nature of reality God has established and the Supreme Court does not have the authority to change what God has established.

The three branches of government, the Legislative, Judicial and Executive, have been established to prevent abuse of power but abuse still creeps in as we can see from the above.

The credibility and authority of Democratic Government
must rest on its recognition
that there is a Law above the Ruler and Sovereign People,
above the whole community of mortals,
to which they must bow.