Republic

a form of government which proceeds from the people, and in which proceeds from the people, and in which rulers are elected by popular vote. When not dominated by tyrants the cities of Greece were republican in government. The medieval cities of northern Italy are usually spoken of as city republics. As a matter of fact they were ruled by aristocracies who chose one of their number to act as doge or prince. Thus the doge of the so-called republic of Venice was merely the leader of a small number of wealthy persons who considered themselves the commonwealth. Ordinary people had no rights which anybody was bound to regard. Switzerland is the oldest republic of importance in Europe. The French republic was established in 1870. That set up by the French Revolution was of short duration. The Free Cities of Bremen, Hamburg, and Lubeck have republican forms of government. The small commonwealths of San Marino in Italy and Andorra in the Pyrenees between France and Spain are republics. England possessed a republican form of government during the rule of the Commonwealth from 1649 to 1660. In the New World the United States is the leading republic. Argentina and Cuba are republican. Chile and Brazil are semi-republics. The other nations of Central and South America, including Mexico, though nominally republican, are in reality military despotisms. The latter country in particular, however, is making excellent progress toward republicanism. A republican, that is to say, a representative form of government is possible only in an intelligent, law-abiding community. See Congress