The Constitution
republic
A government in which the people rule through elected representatives rather than by direct vote on every question. The Constitution guarantees each state one.
In full
Madison distinguished a republic from a pure democracy by the delegation of governing to elected representatives and by the larger territory a republic can cover. In ordinary use the American system is described as both a republic and a representative democracy; the terms overlap, and the Guarantee Clause of Article IV promises every state a republican form of government.
Also written as: representative democracy
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.