Democracy and republic: what is the difference?

Two words in the Preamble

The Preamble to India’s Constitution uses the words “democratic” and “republic” side by side. People often treat them as meaning the same thing, so why use both? India had lived under British rule for nearly two centuries, yet at Independence it did not simply copy the British parliamentary system. While the Constitution was being made, its makers debated what kind of parliamentary democracy India should have, and one answer lies in these two words.

Democracy: rule by the people

At its heart, democracy means people’s rule: demos means people and kratos means rule. The people hold the power to pick their government in fair elections, and the government must answer to their representatives.

Republic: no king or queen

A republic fills its highest office, the head of state, by election, direct or indirect, never by birth: no king or queen inherits the post. A republic also limits its rulers’ powers through a constitution or laws.

India and the United Kingdom show the difference. In both, people elect their representatives, and the government answers to parliament. But the UK has had a monarch as head of state for centuries, while the framers of India’s Constitution chose an elected head of state: the President, picked by elected representatives rather than by a direct vote of the people. So India is both a democracy and a republic, like the USA. Canada, Sweden and the UK each have a monarch, so they count as democracies but not as republics.

Protecting the rights of all

As a democratic republic, India gives fundamental rights to all its citizens through its Constitution. The Constitution and the law make sure that rule by an elected majority does not trample anyone’s fundamental rights. For example, some lands belong to tribal communities and are protected by law: companies and outsiders cannot buy or lease them without the community’s permission and due legal process. Mining was stopped in the Dongria Kondh community’s sacred hills in Odisha because the community opposed it.

Why does this matter? A Resident Welfare Association once voted, by majority, to ban deliveries after 9 pm, brushing aside a few residents who said the sick and elderly would suffer. Then an elderly woman collapsed when her medicine could not reach her in time, and the rule was changed. When only the majority’s wishes count, minorities get hurt; this is called the dominance of the majority. In a republic the rule of law stands above the wishes of the majority. Republics such as India, France and the USA guard against it, and elected leaders cannot pass laws against basic rights such as freedom of speech and religion, or equality before the law. The Constitution also keeps any one part of the government from growing too powerful.

Washington says no to a crown

In 1782, near the end of America’s war of independence against Britain, an officer wrote to General George Washington suggesting that he become king of America. Washington firmly refused. A crown, he replied, would damage the new nation, and he trusted only government by the people, bound by a constitution. Years later, in 1789, he became the first President of the United States, elected rather than crowned.

Why it matters

Knowing what makes India a democratic republic helps you see why your vote counts and why your rights are protected even if you are in a minority. Read more in state and government and legislature, executive and judiciary. Answers to the textbook questions are in the NCERT solutions for Part 2 Chapter 6; see all of Part 2 Chapter 6 notes.