A representative republic is the system we have in the US, which is by definition not a democracy. They're two very different concepts, and they are mutually exclusive.
This is basic civics. It's taught, or I hope it's still taught, in grade school. It's not controversial, it's not surprising, it's fact.
It was a system designed to consolidate power among white landowners and to be extremely difficult to change. It's not a surprise it's got issues.