Republic
A republic is a form of government that emphasizes popular sovereignty, where leaders are elected by the public rather than inheriting power or seizing it by force. The term originates from Latin, meaning "matters of the public." Republics emerged as a response to absolute monarchies, aiming to create systems more responsive to the will of the people. Most modern republics operate under democratic principles, allowing citizens to elect their leaders. However, not all republics guarantee universal suffrage; some may restrict voting rights to certain groups.
Typically, a republic is led by an elected head of state, often a president, and may feature a separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. This structure allows for checks and balances to prevent any single branch from overpowering the others. The role of citizens in a republic varies depending on its specific system, with democratic republics empowering the public to influence governance through elections. Yet, the effectiveness of citizen participation can be hindered by dominant political parties that limit competition and public influence. Overall, the republican system is designed to ensure that political power resides with the people, promoting leadership that aligns with the broader interests of society.
Republic
Guiding Premise
A republic is a type of government based on the idea of popular or public sovereignty. The word "republic" is derived from Latin terms meaning "matters" and "the public." In essence, a republic is a government in which leaders are chosen by the public rather than by inheritance or by force. The republic or republican governmental system emerged in response to absolute monarchy, in which hereditary leaders retained all the power. In contrast, the republican system is intended to create a government that is responsive to the people's will.
Most modern republics operate based on a democratic system in which citizens elect leaders by popular vote. The United States and Mexico are examples of countries that use a democratic republican system to appoint leaders to office. However, universal suffrage (voting for all) is not required for a government to qualify as a republic, and it is possible for a country to have a republican government in which only certain categories of citizens, such as the wealthy, are allowed to vote in elections.
In addition to popular vote, most modern republics are further classified as constitutional republics, because the laws and rules for appointing leaders have been codified in a set of principles and guidelines known as a "constitution." When combined with universal suffrage and constitutional law, the republican system is intended to form a government that is based on the will of the majority while protecting the rights of minority groups.
The somewhat loose overall definition of a republic, the many subforms of this type of government, and disagreement on some nations' self-defined government system all make it difficult to establish a widely agreed upon count of how many republics exist throughout the world. While in 2021 over 150 nations included the word "republic" in their official names, not all in fact had elected governments. Conversely, some countries with elected governments are not technically identified as republics.
Typical Structure
Republican governments are typically led by an elected head of state, generally a president. In cases where the president also serves as the head of government, the government is called a "presidential republic." In some republics, the head of state serves alongside an appointed or elected head of government, usually a prime minister. This mixed form of government blends elements of the republic system with the parliamentary system found in countries such as the United Kingdom or India.
The president is part of the executive branch of government, which represents the country internationally and heads efforts to make and amend international agreements and treaties. The laws of a nation are typically created by the legislative branch, which may also be composed of elected leaders. Typically, the legislative and executive branches must cooperate on key initiatives, such as determining the national budget.
In addition to legislative and executive functions, most republics have a judiciary charged with enforcing and interpreting laws. The judicial branch may be composed of elected leaders, but in many cases, judicial officers are appointed by the president and/or the legislature. In the United States (a federal republic), the president, who leads the executive branch, appoints members to the federal judiciary, but these choices must be approved by the legislature before they take effect.
The duties and powers allotted to each branch of the republican government are interconnected with those of the other branches in a system of checks and balances. For instance, in Mexico (a federal republic), the legislature is empowered to create new tax guidelines for the public, but before legislative tax bills become law, they must first achieve majority support within the two branches of the Mexican legislature and receive the approval of the president. By creating a system of separate but balanced powers, the republican system seeks to prevent any one branch from exerting a dominant influence over the government.
Role of the Citizen
The role of the citizen in a republic depends largely on the type of republican system that the country has adopted. In republics that also espouse democracy (such as the United States), popular elections and constitutional law give the public significant influence over governmental development and establish the people as the primary source of political power. Citizens in democratic republics are empowered to join political groups and to influence the development of laws and policies through the election of public leaders.
In many republican nations, a powerful political party or other political group can dominate the government, preventing competition from opposing political groups and curtailing the public's role in selecting and approving leaders. For instance, in the late twentieth century, a dominant political party maintained control of the Gambian presidency and legislature for more than thirty years, thereby significantly limiting the role of the citizenry in influencing the development of government policy.
In general, the republican system was intended to reverse the power structure typical of the monarchy system, in which inherited leaders possess all of the political power. In the republican system, leaders are chosen to represent the people's interests with terms of office created in such a way that new leaders must be chosen at regular intervals, thereby preventing a single leader or political entity from dominating the populace. In practice, popular power in a republic depends on preventing a political monopoly from becoming powerful enough to alter the laws of the country to suit the needs of a certain group rather than the whole.
Examples
Bibliography
Caramani, Daniele. Comparative Politics. Oxford UP, 2008.
Carr, Karen. "What Is a Republic? Definition - Representative Government." Quatr.us, 29 June 2017, quatr.us/government/what-is-a-republic-definition.htm. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.
"Government Type." CIA World Factbook, 2022, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/government-type/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.
Longley, Robert. "Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference?" ThoughtCo., 2 Nov. 2020, www.thoughtco.com/republic-vs-democracy-4169936. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.
Przeworski, Adam. Democracy and the Limits of Self-Government. Cambridge UP, 2010.
Volokh, Eugene. "The United States Is Both a Republic and a Democracy." Reason, 17 Jan. 2018, reason.com/volokh/2018/01/17/the-united-states-is-both-a-republic-and. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.