99 Percenters -- Writers' / Leaders' Site

" As Benjamin Franklin was exiting after writing the U.S. constitution, a woman asked him "Well, Doctor, what have we got—a republic or a monarchy?". He replied "A republic—if you can keep it."
The Founding Fathers were very critical of democracy, especially direct democracy, they saw a danger in majorities forcing their will on minorities, and a constitutional republic was formed. James Madison goes into detail about this in the Federalist Papers, specifically Federalist 10.