What is the importance of the government republic?

Question

What is the importance of the government republic?

Answer 1

In Democracy the mjority of the people rule or elect a government that is supposed to represent the will of the people.  In  Republic the rulers can be elected or not.  The significance of a Republic is that there is a ruling group.

So a true "Democratic Republic"  The rulling group is elected by the majority of the people.  But in an Autocratic Republic it could be a ruling "class" - people who awre born into position etc.

In Plato's famous work, "The Republic" Democracy is seen as a lower form of government.  Messy and chaotic.  His idea of an "ideal" Republic would be an intricate system where ichildren past a certain young age are taken form their parents and brought up by "The State" where they are indoctrinated to believe they should live for "The State.  At points in children's lives they are observed and tested resulting in their placement in "The State" as worker, guardian, politician or the highest of the high, the Philosopher King.   Independant thought is discouraged as well as Art and anything that would disrupt the "Big Lie" that you are born to serve the State and the State is all powerful.

So a Republic can be good or bad for you depending on what type of Republic you want and are willing to struggle for.

Answer 2

It has been baldly asserted that in a Democracy, majority rules, whereas in a Republic, Law rules.  Consider, in a Democracy, there is no need for a Constitution, since the majority can simply change Law at a whim.  In a Republic, there is a Law above the government, and in our case there is a written Constitution, in addition to the King to whom all governments owe honour.