More Thoughts on Democracy

It is very disappointing to read a letter from a UW grad who tries to define the United States as either a democracy or a republic [“Can This Democracy Be Saved?” Fall 2014]. In reality, the nation is a democratic republic, meaning representatives are chosen directly by the populace.

Geoffrey Wodell ’71
Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Thank you for “Can This Democracy Be Saved?” My spouse, Cooper Rosin ’10, and I are spending the year at a remote research station inside Gabon’s Ivindo National Park in the Congo Basin. We look forward to connecting with the world through the issues of On Wisconsin that my mother-in-law, Anne Rosin MS’87, MD’93, mails us. Cooper and I submitted our absentee ballots for November’s election, and it was validating to read Professor Barry Burden’s affirmation that absentee votes are always counted, whether the election is a runaway victory or closely contested.

Rachel Nordberg Rosin ’07
Makokou, Gabon

Published in the Spring 2015 issue