république

A republic, from the Latin res publica meaning “the public thing,” is a form of government in which supreme political power is exercised by elected representatives rather than a monarch. In most republics, rulers and officials are bound by a constitution and the rule of law, and sovereignty lies with the people who elect their representatives.

The concept traces back to ancient Rome, where the republic featured elected magistrates and a system of checks and balances. In later European and American thought, the term came to describe non-monarchical regimes, especially as Enlightenment ideas about consent, civic virtue, and legal equality spread during the 17th through 19th centuries. Today, many countries identify as republics, including those with long-standing constitutional frameworks as well as newer post-revolutionary states.

Core features commonly associated with republics include regular elections, accountability of leaders, separation of powers, and the protection of basic rights. A republic may be presidential or parliamentary and can vary in how it restricts executive power, constrains the government by law, and protects minority interests while representing the public.

In French usage, république denotes a non-monarchical state and the succession of regimes under a constitutional order, such as the French Republics established since 1792. More broadly, the term applies to a wide range of states around the world that reject hereditary rule, though they differ in democratic quality and institutional design.

Overall, the term describes a broad family of political regimes tied together by the absence of a monarch and a commitment to the rule of law, even as they exhibit diverse structures and practices.