Knowra Republic Republic A form of government in which the state is considered a public matter and its head is not a hereditary monarch. Republics vary widely in how rulers are chosen and how power is limited.
Sovereignty : The supreme authority to govern a territory and its people. Republican government locates public authority somewhere other than hereditary personal rule.
Monarchy : A form of government headed by a monarch, whose position is usually inherited. The nonhereditary head of state distinguishes a republic from monarchy.
Roman Republic : The state of ancient Rome from the overthrow of its kings in 509 BCE to the establishment of imperial rule. Its offices, assemblies, and political conflicts became enduring reference points for republics.
Res publica : A Latin expression meaning public affair or public matter, used for the Roman political community. The English word republic derives from this Roman expression.
American Revolution : The political and military struggle through which thirteen British colonies became an independent state between 1775 and 1783. Its leaders established a republic and argued that legitimate government required consent.
Popular sovereignty : The principle that a government's legitimate authority derives from the people. Many republics justify political authority through the people, though participation varies.
Democracy : A system of government in which political power is exercised by the people, directly or through representatives. A republic may be democratic, oligarchic, or authoritarian; the terms are not synonymous.
Republic of Venice : A maritime state centered on Venice that lasted from the late seventh century until 1797. Its oligarchic institutions show that a republic need not grant broad political participation.
Cicero : A Roman statesman and philosopher whose works explored law, justice, and the commonwealth. His writings transmitted Roman ideas about public affairs and legitimate government.
French Revolution : A period of political upheaval in France beginning in 1789 that ended absolute monarchy and transformed European politics. Its republican turn spread and radicalized challenges to hereditary sovereignty.
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