The Republic government has the notion that it forms a system based upon the rights and prosperity of the people for the welfare of the people. The elected government will serve the interests of the pupil and fairly work for every citizen irrespective of their caste, race, gender, ethnicity, culture, etc. Many countries followed the rules of republic government and maintained the nation’s stability. Understanding all those nuances for every citizen is critical to fully participate in the political structure and create a well-developed society.
Origin & meaning
The origin of the word republic is from Latin res public or public things. It implies a government-owned by the people for their benefits instead of the benefit of a ruler or king. It consists of various meanings in itself, encompassing not only democracy but also authoritarian, a noble cause, and sovereignty.
When the representatives selected by the citizens rule the state or nation, that form of government is called a republic. In contemporary times, the idea behind the republics is based upon the people’s sovereignty, though it also follows the rules and regulations of the constitution. A Republican government is a political structure in which people have power and authority. Any government which does not follow a hereditary leader comes under the category of republic government.
Features of Republic government
Following features below explain the nature of republic government;
- Most of the power and authorities are concentrated in the citizen body, not some primary authority or king.
- By electing the representative, people provide powers to leaders who represent them and support the growth. However, the role of the representative is not just to help a few people but the whole nation.
- A well-established Constitution of the nation protects the rights and freedom of the people, and people exercise the voting system to maintain this system.
- Both people and civic bodies are responsible and accountable for the stability and functioning of the government system.
Advantages of Republican Government
Have you ever wondered if one’s interest is sometimes good for everyone? Although there are many benefits of republic government. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Fairness: Laws amended by elected representatives are fair. Because people elect representatives, they believe that formulated laws and policies are appropriate for everyone. If they find laws unfair, then they have the power to elect someone else who can lead the nation.
- Common welfare (non-biased): The formulated laws and policies have inbuilt benefits for everyone irrespective of caste, class, gender, ethnicity, culture, etc., not just for one group of people. And supporting the whole nation in all forms, economical, political, and societal, means serving the common welfare.
- Freedom and prosperity: Citizens would have the freedom to live their lives based on their terms without harming any other’s growth. The growth of the economic benefits the entire nation, and people would have that benefits too
- Equal participation: According to this system, every citizen will participate in the political procedure.
Therefore, all citizens are equal, and it doesn’t matter if you are a small farmer or a powerful business owner. Common people are motivated to take part in government.
- Promotion of social integration: Incorporating all the aspects in the government that promotes the betterment of social structure, such as self-reliance, self-assertion, and self-esteem.
- Power of vote: Leaders are chosen based on their talents and empathetic nature towards the citizens. Hence, they are elected by the voices, not the forces.
Many times, the meaning of democracy and republic indicate the same meaning and are closely related. The difference between the following are given below;
Parameters | Democracy | Republic |
Power controlled by | Citizen body as whole | Individual citizens |
Amendment of laws | The distribution of powers across different groups varies, i.e. The majority group will have most of the power and minorities will have less access to power. | The power and authorities are exercised by the elected representative by the people. |
Ruled By | The majority. | Elected representative. |
Protection of Rights | Sometimes, lack of proper execution of the constitution causes exploitation of underserved people. | Well-developed constitution provides protection to every citizen. |
Disadvantages of Republic government
- Due to the election system in the republic government, it becomes expensive because of expenditure on resources to conduct elections. Sometimes it has adverse impacts on underdeveloped countries.
- The functioning of this government is better in smaller level nations than bigger nations.
- People under this generally belong to the same kind of background i.e., they are diversified in nature.
- Sometimes, due to diversities, the majority of the power is held by the higher-level people, which negatively impacts the less privileged people.
Conclusion
The government that the people lead is referred to as a republic government. The Republic government and democratic government both shared some common principles that support the reliable system. Many countries follow a structure that combines both republican and democratic principles. In a republic government, citizens have liberties and exercise a voting system. India is run on the principle of democracy purely.