eli5: What is a Republic? As in, the United States is a Republic?

Question

I’m almost 50. I said the pledge of allegiance every day. Our education system is so messed up that they didn’t bother to explain what it meant.

Hell, I’m old enough that I also sang ‘Zippity Doo Dah ‘ every day also. Plus, we had the strap in school. Teachers and principals taking their anger out on 10 years olds. That was weird.

In: 27

Answer 1

Originally, the republic (a la Spartan/Roman republic) was a political entity that combined the best features of the “most virtuous” forms of governance:

1.). Monarchy (rule by the one)
2.). Aristocracy (rule by the best)
3.). Democracy (rule by the many)

Polybius noted that each of these forms devolved into decadent versions of themselves:

1.). Tyranny (rule by the one, but not attached to the interest of the people)
2.). Oligarchy (rule by the few or the rich)
3.). Mob rule (which led to anarchy)

These forms rotated in a circle, clockwise, in a process called “anacyclosis.” You went from:

1.). Benevolent monarchy
2.). Tyranny
3.). Aristocracy
4.). Oligarchy
5.). Democracy
6.). Mob rule
7.). Anarchy

And then the cycle started over again.

The republic was a form of government designed to stop that cycle, as it allowed for class conflicts to be resolved through various instruments of the hybrid political system.

So in our own constitutional republic, you have

1.). Monarchy (in times of war/emergency the chief executive can function effectively as a monarch— but these powers are temporary and limited. The point of this is to give the state flexibility in times of crisis, and to allow it to act quickly and decisively)

2.). Aristocracy (the senate and the Supreme Court— the Supreme Court is extremely aristocratic; not an elected body, and theoretically is a quasi- “council of elders” type body). The senate was originally also not an elected body— until recently senators were appointed by state legislatures.

3.). Democracy (the house, which is the largest, most democratic institution, and its composition is based on proportional representation. The house is given enormous power as all spending laws must originate in the house).