Republik

A republic is a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch,, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people) have impact on its government. The word originates from the Latin term res publica, which translates as "public thing" or "public matter".

In most modern republics the head of state is termed president. Other titles that have been used are consul, doge, archon and many others. In republics that are also democracies the head of state is selected as the result of an election. This election can be indirect, such as if a council of some sort is elected by the people, and this council then elects the head of state. In these kinds of republics the usual term for a president is in the range of four to six years. In some countries the constitution limits the number of terms the same person can be elected as president.