“A Republic may be defined as a state in which the sovereign power rests in the people as a whole but is exercised by representatives chosen by a popular vote.”—Cyclopedia of American Government, Vol. III, p. 188.
“A Republic, in the modern sense of the term, is a government which derives all its powers directly, or indirectly, from the great body of the people, i. e. the majority—and is administered by persons holding their offices for a limited period.”—Cyclopedia of American Government, Vol. III, p. 188.
“Republican government is a government of the people; a government by representatives chosen by the people.”—Bouvier's Law Dictionary.
The Constitution of the United States in Art. IV, Sec. 4 guarantees to every State a republican form of government, but it does not define what is republican government. It is generally assumed that if for any reason the representative government of a State should be destroyed or temporarily set aside, it would be the duty of the Federal government, acting through the President as chief executive, to use whatever force was necessary (including the army and navy) to overcome such agency and to restore to the people of that State its former representative government.
“It is left to Congress to decide what constitutes a republican form of government, and Congress also has the right to say which government in a state is the legal government. This necessarily follows because before Congress can decide whether the government is Republican it must decide which government is in force.”—Luther vs. Borden, 7 Howard 1.
“It is Congress and not the President who decides what is Republican government in a state.”—Martin vs. Mott, 12 Wheaton 19.
Initiative means the right of the people to initiate or commence the process of lawmaking. It is done by circulating a petition asking that a certain provision be enacted into law. If the petition receives the signatures of a certain percentage of qualified voters, the legislature is required to enact the provision into law, or submit it to the voters to determine whether it shall become law.
Referendum means that the qualified voters through the process of balloting may determine whether a measure proposed either through the action of the legislature, or through the initiative, shall become law.
Recall is the method by which the qualified voters may remove an undesirable officer from office before the expiration of his term. It is done through a petition requiring a certain percentage of signers from among the qualified voters. If the petition is sufficient an election is called at which time the officer may appear for continuation in office and others may appear as candidates for that office. The one receiving the largest vote is duly chosen.
Law has been defined as: “The aggregate of those laws and principles of conduct which the governing power in a community recognizes as the rules and principles which it will enforce or sanction, and according to which it will regulate, limit, or protect the conduct of its members.”—Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Vol. II, p. 144.