A republic is fundamentally a form of government where the state is governed by representatives of its citizenry. The core principle of modern republics is that political power, or sovereignty, resides in the people. However, the definition of “the people” and who is included as a citizen has varied significantly throughout history. Unlike a direct democracy where citizens themselves make decisions, in a republic, governance is conducted through elected or appointed representatives. Therefore, while many modern representative democracies are indeed republics, the two terms are not entirely interchangeable. Furthermore, the term “republic” can also broadly describe any government where the head of state is not a hereditary monarch.
Historically, before the 17th century, “republic” held a much wider meaning, essentially denoting any state that was not a tyrannical regime. Originating from the Latin phrase res publica, meaning “public affair,” the concept of a republic could encompass various forms of governance, including oligarchies, aristocracies, and even monarchies, in addition to democratic states. Jean Bodin, a prominent 16th-century French political philosopher, in his influential work Six Books of the Commonwealth (1576), defined a republic expansively as “the rightly ordered government of a number of families, and of those things which are their common concern, by a sovereign power.” Under this definition, tyranny was the key exclusion, as it prioritized the ruler’s private interests over the common good.
The meaning of “republic” underwent a transformation during the 17th and 18th centuries. This period saw increasing opposition to absolutist monarchies, marked by significant conflicts and revolutions like the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648), the American Revolution (1775–83), and the French Revolution (1787–89). These upheavals reshaped the understanding of a republic to specifically mean a government where the head of state is chosen for a specific term under a constitution, explicitly contrasting it with hereditary monarchies. This era solidified the link between republics and representative governance, emphasizing citizen participation through elected officials rather than direct rule.
However, the 20th century revealed a complex reality. Despite the democratic connotations of the term, “republic” was adopted by states where leaders wielded power exceeding that of traditional monarchs. Examples include military dictatorships, such as the Republic of Chile under Augusto Pinochet, and totalitarian regimes like the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This demonstrates that while the term “republic” ideally signifies a government accountable to its citizens through representation, its application in practice has been diverse and sometimes contradictory. Understanding what constitutes a republic requires considering both its historical evolution and its varied interpretations across different political systems.
