The Making of the American Dream, 2

What is America, after all? Author Lou Kaplan observes, "While this country is no longer the republic envisioned by the Founding Fathers, neither can it be construed to be a pure democracy since the checks and balances still remain in place. The federal government, which has encroached on the rights and obligations formerly delegated to the states with seeming impunity, is still restrained by the Constitution. The President needs the support of Congress for appointments to the Supreme Court. And