Comment: You have hit the nail on the

You have hit the nail on the head. The US Constitution created a Representative Republic. It functions from the bottom up to the top, voters electing representatives who elect representatives. Each layer of representative is always free to vote their conscience. The voters free to elect a different representative if they don't like his choices, but never having the power to dictate the representatives vote. This used to be understood and taught in school.

The Constitution is our first line of defence protecting us from democracy (bottom up tyranny) as well as state-ism (fascism, communism and party bosses - all examples of top down tyranny)