Republican Form of Government

Republican Forms of Government

A republic is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers. The primary positions of power within a republic are not inherited. It is a form of government under which the head of state is not a monarch.

As of 2017, 159 of the world's 206 sovereign states use the word "republic" as part of their official names – not all of these are republics in the sense of having elected governments, nor is the word "republic" used in the names of all nations with elected governments. While heads of state often tend to claim that they rule only by the "consent of the governed", elections in some countries have been found to be held more for the purpose of "show" than for the actual purpose of in reality providing citizens with any genuine ability to choose their own leaders. See the types of republic systems below:

• Presidential republic with an executive presidency separate from the legislature.
• Parliamentary republic with an executive presidency dependent on the legislature.
• Semi-presidential republic with both an executive presidency and a separate head of government that leads the legislature, who is appointed by the president.
• Parliamentary republic with a ceremonial/non-executive president, where a separate head of government leads the executive.

A republic can be said to be a king-less form of government that has no monarchy and no hereditary aristocracy. The national sovereignty lies in the authority of the government and not in an emperor or monarch. The word republic comes from the Latin language words res publica, which means a "public thing". For example, the United States is a republic and India is a republic, but North Korea and Cuba are also called republics. However, Britain and Canada are not republics, since they have a monarch (Queen Elizabeth II in both cases).

Countries with a king or other monarch and free elections are called a constitutional monarchy and are not called republics. A constitutional monarchy resembles a republic because the constitution has been amended to remove power from the monarch and install institutions conforming to a philosophy of republicanism. This includes the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, the Netherlands, Thailand, Scandinavian and various other countries. What makes a republic different, is that laws are made and enforced without royal authority.

The Head of State in a republic is generally a person who has been chosen by the citizens, either by direct election or by a group of elected representatives to act as the top representative of the people. In most republics, the Head of State is called the president. In some countries, the president is elected and has a lot of political power. In others, the president does not hold much direct power, but is important in the legal system for other reasons.

Ananda Stupa, built by the Licchavis at Vaishali, which served as the capital of Vajjian Confederacy, one of the world's earliest republics (Gaṇa sangha). The ancient Indian subcontinent had a number of early republics among Mahajanapadas.

Licchavi in India was the first republic in the 6th and 5th century BCE. The earliest republics that were much imitated later were Greek cities in the eastern Mediterranean area. The biggest difference from other city-states at that time was that people chose their leaders by voting. The votes were counted, and the person with the most votes won.

Characteristics of the Republican Form of Government

• The power of a republican government emanates from the people and the people elect the government through a general election. Sovereignty therefore lies in the hands of the people.
• Elections are conducted periodically and all political positions are contested for by individuals. For example, Nigeria, Ghana and other republican countries organize general elections every four years.
• In a republican system of government, elections are held on the basis of universal adult suffrage. This means all qualified adult voters are allowed to cast their ballots.
• In a republican system of government, the constitution prescribes a fixed term of office for the president, usually, four years, but in some cases five or even seven years. The mandate of the president can be renewed only once, after which the president can no longer be constitutionally elected.
• The constitution is the supreme law of the land. Any other law found to be inconsistent with any provision of the constitution can be challenged in the court of law. If proven, such law is declared null and void.
• A republican government respects all the tenets of the rule of law which include supremacy of the law, equality before the law and the principle of liberty.
• The fundamental human rights of all citizens are guaranteed under a constitution in a republican system.