Republican form of government
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Republican form of government constitutional
A government run by elected representatives accountable to the people — not a monarchy or a direct democracy.
Technical: The Art. IV, §4 Guarantee Clause obliges the United States to guarantee each state a 'Republican Form of Government'; the clause has largely been treated as raising nonjusticiable political questions (Luther v. Borden, 48 U.S. (7 How.) 1 (1849)).
Founding-era note: The Founders distinguished a 'republic' (representative) from a 'democracy' (direct) — a distinction developed in The Federalist No. 10 (Madison).
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