Discover the World of Republics

Overview of Republics

A republic is a state where political power is with the public and their representatives, not a monarchy.
Representation in a republic may be based on personal status, and elections may be limited.
The term "republic" developed its meaning from the ancient Roman Republic's constitution, which had a Senate, popular assemblies, and magistracies.
Most republics are single sovereign states, but there are subnational entities referred to as republics.
The term "republic" originates from the Latin translation of the Greek word "politeia," which means "form of government" or "regime" and is not always a word for a specific type of regime.
Aristotle was the first classical writer to state that the term "politeia" can refer specifically to one type of politeia, which is when citizens govern for the public good.
Medieval Northern Italy had city-states with commune or signoria-based governments, which were not monarchies.
The English word "commonwealth" translates to "res publica," which the Romans used to refer to the state and government.
The political philosophy of classical republics has influenced republican thought throughout history.
The Icelandic Commonwealth was a combination of clans run by chieftains, and the Althing was a combination of parliament and supreme court.
New republics appeared in the late Middle Ages when a number of small states embraced republican systems of government, particularly in Italy.
Wealthy merchant classes developed across Europe and advocated for their own privileges and powers, leading to the adoption of republican forms of government in some areas.A Brief History of Republics
Early republics in Europe were often controlled by a limited council of elite patricians, leaving the majority of the population without political power.
The Protestant Reformation in Northern Europe, particularly Calvinist theology, was used as justification for establishing new republics.
The American Revolution began as a rejection of British Parliament's authority over the colonies, resulting in the establishment of a federal republic.
In the aftermath of World War I, most European colonies gained their independence and became republics.
The Russian Revolution established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the first republic established under Marxist-Leninist ideology.
Islamic republics became an important idea in the Middle East, with Iraq becoming a secular state and Iran becoming an Islamic republic.
Most modern republics use the title president for the head of state, with different forms of presidential government existing.
Parliamentary republics operate similarly to constitutional monarchies with parliamentary systems, with the head of government exercising the most real political power.
Semi-presidential systems have a president as an active head of state with important powers and a prime minister as a head of government with important powers.
The rules for appointing the president and the leader of the government, in some republics, permit the appointment of a president and a prime minister.
Republicanism became an important element of many national liberation movements during decolonization.
Socialist republics were established in Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Albania, ensuring that these states were reestablished as socialist republics rather than monarchies.
The French Revolution saw republics spread by force of arms across much of Europe, including the establishment of the French First Republic.Overview of Republics
A republic is a form of government where people elect their leaders to represent them and make decisions on their behalf.
The head of state in a republic can be a single person or a committee (council) of several persons holding that office.
In presidential and semi-presidential systems, the president is directly elected by the people or indirectly elected through an electoral college, while in parliamentary systems, the president is usually elected by the parliament.
The distinction between a republic and a monarchy is not always clear, and some constitutional monarchies have almost all real political power vested in elected representatives.
The term "liberal republic" is used to describe modern liberal democracies.
There are also self-proclaimed republics that act similarly to absolute monarchies with absolute power vested in the leader and passed down from father to son, such as North Korea and Syria.
There are elective monarchies where ultimate power is vested in a monarch, but the monarch is chosen by some manner of election, such as Malaysia and the Vatican City-State.
States of the United States are required, like the federal government, to be republican in form.
The term "republic" originated from the writers of the Renaissance as a descriptive term for states that were not monarchies.
A distinct set of definitions of the term "republic" evolved in the United States, where the term is often equated with "representative democracy."
The Supreme Court of the United States has defined republic as a "political question" in which it would not intervene.
Republicanism is often referred to as the founding ideology of the United States.