The key difference between democracy and republic is that democracy is the direct rule of the people while republic is characterized by the standard form of government.
Democracy can be explained as a government of masses. Direct expression is the underlying factor in democracy. The election of public officials by the people is the underlying factor in a republic.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Democracy
3. What is Republic
4. Side by Side Comparison – Democracy vs Republic in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Democracy?
In short, it can be said that democracy is the direct rule of people. Democracy is characterized by the rule of the majority. It is characterized by the form of government where supreme power lies with the people who can exercise their power during elections. In spite of all these basic differences, it is surprising to note that, at times, both these terms, republic and democracy are used in the same sense. Now let us move on to the word republic.
What is Republic?
Republic is a standard form of government. The standard form of government of a republic applies to almost all the republic countries of the world. A republic is a form of government, and it involves the election of an executive, a legislative body, a judiciary to uphold justice in the country and the recognition of individual rights. A republic has a chief of state at the helm of affairs, and he can usually be the President.
It has to be firmly remembered that in both democracy and republic the government is elected by the people. The main difference is that, in the case of democracy the majority rules, whereas in a Republic, the Government rules according to law. Both of them are governed by the constitution too. In a republic, the government rules according to the law prescribed by men of calibre. In a democracy, mobocracy prevails. Mobocracy can be defined as political control by a mob. This is the main difference between democracy and republic. Now let us summarize the difference as follows.
What is the Difference Between Democracy and Republic?
Democracy is the direct rule of the people while republic is characterized by the standard form of government. Moreover, democracy is characterized by the rule of the majority, while in a republic, government rules according to law. In a democracy, the power lies in the people, while in a republic, the power lies in the laws that have been created.
Summary – Democracy vs Republic
The key difference between democracy and republic is that democracy is the direct rule of the people while republic is characterized by the standard form of government.
Image Courtesy:
1.”Election MG 3455” by Rama – Own work. [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons
2.”Place de la République – Marianne” by Coyau / Wikimedia Commons. [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons
