Defining the concept of republic

¶ … republic can be defined as a state where the head of state is nota monarch (Webster's Third International Dictionary), but at the same time where the people are represented in the government and in the decisions made within a certain framework (this is usually more the case of democratic republics, although some form of representation was generally existing in dictatorships as well, although not functional).

Another important characteristic in a republic is that the head of state is elected, through a mechanism or other, by the people. In a parliamentarian presidency, like in Germany, for example, the president is elected by the Parliament, which was in turn elected by the people. In these types of republics, the role of the president is usually limited and the head of government tends to have a more important role in managing country affairs.

In a presidential republic, like in France, for example, the president is elected directly by the people, following a round of voting in the presidential election. This is a more direct manifestation of the people's choice. However, as previously emphasized, republics which are also dictatorships can still be considered republics, even if they are not representative democracies. The Soviet Union was a good example in this sense, with its leaders not being elected by the people, but rather decided through the internal mechanism of the Communist Party.

The other form in which a large nation can be administratively restructured is a monarchy, constitutional or absolutist. In a monarchy, the head of state is a king or emperor. The monarchy's main characteristics is that it is hereditary. This means that the monarchical right to rule is passed on from generation to generation within the same family or family line.

There are two types of monarchies in existence and historically: constitutional and absolutist. The constitutional monarchy is the one most found in practice today. Great Britain and Japan are two examples of constitutional monarchies, where the head of state remains the queen or the emperor. In a constitutional monarchy, the head of state plays usually a representative role only, while the main decisions are taking by his government.

On the other hand, in an absolutist monarchy, the monarch is also considered the de facto head of the government, participates actively in the decision making process and, in the end, has to last word on the decisions made. Today's world does not have many examples of absolutist monarchies left in the world (Bhutan and Nepal were good example, but recent political changes in these countries no longer qualify them for inclusion), but historically France is probably the best example to fit as an absolutist monarchy.

Representative democracy is a political system in which the people elect individuals to represent their interests in the decision making process at a state level. In a pure democracy, usually going back to ancient Athens, was a form of consultative democracy in which every member of the society participated in the political meetings and decision making process. With the growth of population that sort of democracy was obviously no longer functional, turning it into a representative democracy.

In the United States, the electing constituencies and districts are formed by a small number of individuals who reside in a certain area and have specific interests which they follow when electing their representatives. The two main branches of the legislative government, as they are formed through elections, are the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the legislative body known as the Congress. The Congress, as a representative body, is entrusted with creating the legislative framework in which the U.S. society can function.

The idea of pluralism is to have the power distributed between more entities within a state. In the United States, the three main branches, the judicial, the executive and the legislative branch, are separate so as to appropriately distribute power among themselves, while best representing the interests of the people. This usually goes even further down, with power shared incrementally within the same branch.