Democracy vs. Republic — What's the Difference?

A state of society characterized by formal equality of rights.

A political system with elected representatives.

Governance based on the majority's decisions.

A state in which power rests with the body of citizens.

A system where the population exercises power through voting.

A country with an elected or nominated president.

A political system with free and fair elections.

A political order with supreme power held by the people.

A system in which power is vested in the people.

A nation governed by laws and not by individual people.

Democracy (Greek: δημοκρατία, dēmokratiā, from dēmos 'people' and kratos 'rule') refers to a form of government in which the people either have the authority to choose their governing legislators, or the authority to decide on legislation. Who is considered part of the people and how authority is shared among or delegated by the people has changed over time and at different speeds in different countries, but more and more of the inhabitants of countries have generally been included.

A republic (Latin: res publica, meaning "public affair") is a form of government in which "power is held by the people and their elected representatives". In republics, the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers.

Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.

A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

A political or social unit that has such a government.

A political order whose head of state is not a monarch and in modern times is usually a president.

The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.

A nation that has such a political order.

Majority rule.

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.

The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

A nation that has such a political order.

(uncountable) Rule by the people, especially as a form of government; either directly or through elected representatives (representative democracy).

Often Republic A specific republican government of a nation

A government under the direct or representative rule of the people of its jurisdiction.

An autonomous or partially autonomous political and territorial unit belonging to a sovereign federation.

(countable) A state with a democratic system of government.

A group of people working as equals in the same sphere or field

(uncountable) Belief in political freedom and equality; the "spirit of democracy".

A state where sovereignty rests with the people or their representatives, rather than with a monarch or emperor; a country with no monarchy.

Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people.

(archaic) A state, which may or may not be a monarchy, in which the executive and legislative branches of government are separate.

Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic.

One of the subdivisions constituting Russia. See oblast.

Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government.

Common weal.

The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called.

A state in which the sovereign power resides in the whole body of the people, and is exercised by representatives elected by them; a commonwealth. Cf. Democracy, 2.

The political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

A form of government whose head of state is not a monarch;

The doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group

A democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.

Typically, republics do not have monarchs, as they are characterized by elected or nominated presidents.

The United States is a democratic republic, as it incorporates elements of both democracy and republicanism.

A republic is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter" with officials elected by the citizens and bound by a constitution.

The main advantage of a republic is the protection of individual rights against majority rule through a constitution.

In democracies, minority rights can be protected by laws and often by constitutions, as in the case of constitutional democracies.

Direct democracy is where citizens have direct participation in the decision-making process, often through referendums.

Citizens participate in a democracy through voting, public debate, protests, and other forms of political expression.

Not all democracies are republics, as some may not have a constitution or elected representatives, like in direct democracies.

A constitutional republic emphasizes the rule of law through a constitution, while a democratic republic emphasizes the role of the people in choosing representatives.

Representative democracy is a broader term that can include republics as a specific form, where representatives are bound by constitutional law.

In a republic, laws are made by elected representatives who must adhere to a constitutional framework.

Most republics have a constitution, which outlines the system of government and protects citizen's rights.

Pure democracies, where all decisions are made directly by the people, are rare, as most modern nations are representative democracies or republics.

A republic can be undemocratic if the representatives do not accurately represent the people's will or if the elections are not free and fair.