REPUBLIC
republic,n. A system of government in which the people hold sovereign power and elect
representatives who exercise that power. • It contrasts on the one hand with a pure democracy, in
which the people or community as an organized whole wield the sovereign power of government,
and on the other with the rule of one person (such as a king or dictator) or of an elite group (such
as an oligarchy, aristocracy, or junta). — Abbr. rep. Cf. DEMOCRACY. — republican,adj.
“A republic is a government which (a) derives all of its powers directly or indirectly from the
great body of the people and (b) is administered by persons holding their office during pleasure,
for a limited period, or during good behavior.” Robert A. Dahl, A Preface to Democratic Theory
10 (1956). [Blacks Law 8th]