When voting, the man that understands that this is a Republic looks for the man who is moral enough to do what is right and is interested in following the laws of: #1 God; #2 The Constitution; #3 Laws of the State. The voters attitude is basically a long term outlook with a concern for future generations. The man who personifies the ideals of a Republic could be a juror in that he is disinterested in himself and is interested in doing his duty.
Whereas, when voting, the man that understands that this is a Democracy looks for the man who is going to vote as he wants him to vote. The attitude is basically, “ Me, me, me – Now, now, now“. The man who personifies the ideals of a Democracy could be a labor union representative whose job it is to get the best deal for his people pretty much regardless of how it effects anyone else.
If the electorate believes that this is a Republic then it will elect (as a rule) moral men who will strive to do their best for the common good. And if the electorate believes that this is a Democracy it will elect amoral men who will have their own interest at heart no matter what the cost to others. In reality the representative of a Democracy will be looking to serve himself and will use the power he has to promote himself and those who will promote him.
One of the keys to understanding this issue is understanding that even though this is a Republic, if the voters and the elected officials believe it is a Democracy then through the actions of the voters and their elected officials the Republic will cease to act as a Republic and will act and react as a Democracy.
The natural tendency of men is to embrace a Democracy, for man is naturally selfish. When the men of a Republic fail to learn and teach, this is a Republic, it’s values and how it works a Republic naturally gives way to a Democracy. And once the statesman of the Republic is removed from the process of governing, those interested in controlling the masses do so by the use of events brought about to create mass hysteria in order to give the demagogues the opportunity to implement the laws they want. By this route a Democracy naturally gives way to a Dictatorship. This is why Benjamin Franklin, when asked what form of government had been installed, replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”