Malcolm Rivera
The United States is a constitutional republic, meaning the country rests its foundation on a constitution, the supreme law of the land. The US Constitution establishes the federal government, defines its powers and structures, and protects the basic rights of all Americans. The term republic implies that the people hold the power, elect their representatives, and elect or appoint a president, rather than a monarch. The American Revolution expanded the definition of a republic to give more power to the popular will of the people, merging the idea of a law-based government with the concept of consent of the governed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Form of government | Constitutional and federal republic |
| Definition of republic | More power to the popular will of the people |
| Governing officials | Bound to follow the rules established in the Constitution |
| Constitution | Supreme law of the land |
| Government powers | Defined by the Constitution |
| Government structures | Defined by the Constitution |
| Basic rights | Protected by the Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
The US is a constitutional republic
A constitutional republic is a form of government in which the people select some of their members to temporarily serve in political office, rather than directly governing themselves. The US Constitution allows voters to elect their representatives and the president, who is not a monarch.
The term "republic" implies that the people hold the power and elect their leaders. The American founders expanded the definition of a republic to give more power to the popular will of the people, merging the idea of a law-based government with the concept of consent of the governed.
The original text of the United States Constitution only mentions "republic" as a form of government once in Article IV, Section 4: "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government...".
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The US Constitution is the supreme law of the land
The United States is a constitutional republic, meaning the country rests its foundation on a constitution, which is the supreme law of the land. The US Constitution establishes the federal government, defines that government's powers and structures, and protects the basic rights of all Americans. It creates the form of government in the United States, which is a constitutional and federal republic. A constitutional republic means that the people select some of their members to temporarily serve in political office, rather than directly governing themselves. The constitutional part means that both the citizens and their governing officials are bound to follow the rules established in that Constitution. A federal republic is one in which a federal government is given only limited powers for limited purposes, while state governments retain most powers of government.
The original text of the United States Constitution never mentions the word democracy, and only mentions republic as a form of government once in Article IV, Section 4: "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government". The "republic" part implies that the people hold the power, elect their representatives, and elect (or appoint) a president–not a monarch. While the United States was not the first constitutional republic, the American founders did expand the definition of a republic so that it gave more power to the popular will of the people. They were merging, more completely, the idea of a law-based government with the concept of consent of the governed.
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The US is a federal republic
The US is a constitutional republic, meaning that the people hold the power, elect their representatives, and elect (or appoint) a president. The people select some of their members to temporarily serve in political office, and both the citizens and their governing officials are bound to follow the rules established in the Constitution.
The US is also a federal republic, which means that the federal government is given only limited powers for limited purposes, while state governments retain most of the powers of government. This is in contrast to a unitary state, where the central government holds all the power.
The term republic is often used interchangeably with 'democracy' when referring to the US, but they are not the same thing. The original text of the United States Constitution never mentions the word 'democracy', and only mentions 'republic' as a form of government once in Article IV, Section 4. The American founders expanded the definition of a republic to give more power to the popular will of the people, merging the idea of a law-based government with the concept of consent of the governed.
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The US Constitution establishes the federal government
A constitutional republic means that the people select some of their members to temporarily serve in political office, rather than directly governing themselves. The constitutional part means that both the citizens and their governing officials are bound to follow the rules established in the Constitution. The US Constitution also establishes a federal government, which is given only limited powers for limited purposes, while state governments retain most powers of government.
The US Constitution was a revolutionary step towards popular sovereignty, merging the idea of a law-based government with the concept of consent of the governed. The Constitution expanded the definition of a republic to give more power to the popular will of the people. This was a significant shift from the previous system, in which state legislatures chose who would represent their state in the US Senate.
The original text of the United States Constitution never mentions the word "democracy", and only mentions "republic" as a form of government once in Article IV, Section 4. This distinction between a republic and a democracy seems lost on those who intermingle the terms as if they were synonyms. However, it is important to note that the United States is technically a constitutional republic, and not a democracy.
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The US Constitution defines the government's powers and structures
The United States is a constitutional republic, meaning the country rests its foundation on a constitution, which is the supreme law of the land. The US Constitution establishes the federal government, defines its powers and structures, and protects the basic rights of all Americans.
The Constitution creates the form of government in the United States, which is a constitutional and federal republic. A constitutional republic means that the people select some of their members to temporarily serve in political office, rather than directly governing themselves. The constitutional part means that both the citizens and their governing officials are bound to follow the rules established in the Constitution. A federal republic is one in which a federal government is given only limited powers for limited purposes, while state governments retain most powers of government.
The original text of the United States Constitution never mentions the word "democracy", and only mentions "republic" as a form of government once in Article IV, Section 4: "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government".
The term "republic" implies that the people hold the power, elect their representatives, and elect (or appoint) a president, rather than a monarch. The American founders expanded the definition of a republic so that it gave more power to the popular will of the people, merging the idea of a law-based government with the concept of consent of the governed.
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Frequently asked questions
No, republics existed prior to the American Revolution.
A constitutional republic is a form of government in which the people select some of their members to temporarily serve in political office. The constitutional part means that both the citizens and their governing officials are bound to follow the rules established in the constitution.
A republic is a form of government in which the people hold the power, elect their representatives, and elect or appoint a president, rather than a monarch. A democracy is a form of government in which the people have a more direct say in decision-making.
