Reply #67: Republics often are democracies. [View All]

[maha]

The words "republic" and "democracy" are often used interchangeably, and in fact their definitions overlap quite a bit. Note that "republic" comes from Latin and "democracy" comes from Greek.

Once upon a time a "republic" was any country that was not a monarchy. That's why so many of the original Communist countries had "republic" in their names, because in many cases they took the place of a monarch. Hence, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. But look carefully at the dictionary definition now:

republic

SYLLABICATION: re·pub·lic

NOUN: 1a. A political order whose head of state is not a monarch and in modern times is usually a president. b. A nation that has such a political order. 2a. A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them. b. A nation that has such a political order. 3. often Republic A specific republican government of a nation: the Fourth Republic of France. 4. An autonomous or partially autonomous political and territorial unit belonging to a sovereign federation. 5. A group of people working as equals in the same sphere or field: the republic of letters.

ETYMOLOGY: French république, from Old French, from Latin rspblica : rs, thing; see r- in Appendix I + pblica, feminine of pblicus, of the people; see public.

Note the boldface words above. Now look at "democracy," noting the boldface part:

SYLLABICATION: de·moc·ra·cy

NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. de·moc·ra·cies
1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives. 2. A political or social unit that has such a government. 3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power. 4. Majority rule. 5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.
ETYMOLOGY: French démocratie, from Late Latin dmocratia, from Greek dmokrati : dmos, people; see d- in Appendix I + -krati, -cracy

Any political system that invests ultimate authority with the people (as opposed to a monarch or dictator or something else) is a democracy. If the people in the democracy are governed by elected representatives, it's a representative or indirect democracy, and it's also a republic. (In a "pure" or "direct" democracy everybody just shows up and governs. Kind of messy.)