We are a democratic republic, we elected those to represent us, you can have a republic without democratic elections, Syria is a republic
Nope:
Federal republic - a state in which the powers of the central government are restricted and in which the component parts (states, colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental representatives.
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlres...8.html?countryName=&countryCode=®ionCode=M