The people are involved because they’re putting legislators in power, but that’s more or less where their involvement ends. Republican features put some distance between everyday citizens and their government’s functioning. He was a great believer in the United States as a constitutional republic. Barack Obama served as a United States Senator for Illinois from 2005 to 2008. To sum it up, a republic could be considered a “ representative democracy ” when individual citizens are not directly exercising legislative authority by voting on laws but delegating that task to the people who win elections. Roman citizens, rich and poor, were involved in their government by voting for representatives who would rule on their behalf. The Roman republic was defined in contrast to what had existed earlier: monarchy or kings’ rule. The ancient Romans formed one of the most famous republics in history, and the Founding Fathers of the United States, such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, took a great deal of inspiration. The word “republic” comes from the Latin phrase “res publica,” which literally means “the public thing.” A republican form of government governed the ancient Romans. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.Ī republic is a system in which common people are involved in government affairs.