What does the word republic mean and where does it come from?
Republic derives from the Latin phrase res publica, meaning "public matter" or "the people's thing." Cicero translated the Greek word politeia into Latin as res publica, and Renaissance scholars later rendered it as republic in various European languages. The term originally referred to any non-tyrannical state and only gradually narrowed to its modern sense of a government where political power rests with the people rather than a monarch.
What was the Roman Republic and how long did it last?
The Roman Republic was a form of government that lasted from the overthrow of the kings in 509 BC to the establishment of the Empire in 27 BC. It was governed by a Senate of wealthy aristocrats, popular assemblies open to all free citizens, and a series of magistracies with varying authority. Two consuls, elected annually by the comitia centuriata, held the highest executive office.
How many countries in the world are republics?
159 of the world's 206 sovereign states use the word "republic" as part of their official names. However, not all of those states have elected governments, and not all countries with elected governments use the word republic in their official name.
What was the Icelandic Commonwealth and how did it end?
The Icelandic Commonwealth was established in 930 AD by refugees from Norway who had fled the unification of that country under King Harald Fairhair. It had no official head of state and was governed through the Althing, a combined parliament and supreme court. It ended when Icelandic chieftains signed the Gamli sáttmáli, or "Old Covenant," accepting the Norwegian king Haakon IV as their ruler in 1262.
How did the Italian referendum of 1946 make Italy a republic?
On the 2nd of June 1946, Italian voters were asked whether Italy should remain a monarchy or become a republic. The republican side won 54.3 percent of the vote, and Italy officially became a republic. That date is still celebrated annually as Festa della Repubblica.
What is the difference between a republic and a democracy?
In a republic, power is held by the people or a portion of them, with a head of state elected directly or indirectly rather than inheriting the role. In a democracy, power is wielded by the people either directly or through representatives. The two concepts are not mutually exclusive; a state can be both a republic and a democracy. James Madison defined republic narrowly as representative democracy in Federalist Paper No. 10, while John Adams and others kept the older definition, which allowed for aristocratic as well as democratic republics.