[mickdeek86]

Fair enough but it doesn't make the phrase "constitutional republic" any less meaningless in the context it was offered (saying America is not 'a democracy'), does it? Incidentally, aren't most of those monarchies constitutional (ie ceremonial) in which the public elect the actual government, thus in practice democratic?

[dragonwriter]

Yes, many (constitutional) monarchies are also (representative) democracies, just like some republics are.