The term "republic" has a fairly broad meaning. But to put it simply, a republic is a system of governance in which a document, in the instance of the United States, the US Constitution, serves as the highest authority in the nation. It follows that the US President is not a higher authority than that document.
Therefore, the contrast between a republic and a democracy, in its most basic definitions, is what is relevant here. In a democracy, "majority rules" as a type of governance.
Therefore, a democracy would be vulnerable to all the unavoidable extreme swings in government. What is permitted now could not be permitted tomorrow. Wild swings in legislation may occur, and the American Founding Fathers believed that once a majority of 51%, which had never held power before, came into power, they would use their time in government to persecute the 49% who lost, either as retaliation or to strengthen their hold on power.
Note that these are not new concepts. The Roman Republics were the most stable form of governance in antiquity because both the Greeks and the Romans were aware of the distinctions.
The republican system of government only functions when its people and elected officials respect the law. North Korea as it exists now is a republic in name but has not operated as one since the conclusion of World War 2. Although their governments were legally republics, the majority of the dictatorships in Latin America and Africa throughout the previous century have nonetheless existed. Any republic or democracy must have a culture of respect for the law in order to function.
Political philosophy holds that for a republic to continue, its people must strive for virtue; if they do, the republic will endure. The republic will collapse if the populace turns corrupt.
Thank you,
Eddie
