A Noble Republic is a form of government in which the state is ruled by a council of noble families, in a similar way to a democratic parliament, and the Head of State is an elected King. An example of this for of government is Poland, although Hungary also had short periods of time where elected kings ruled. Many ancient Hellenic city states can also be considered as Noble Republics. Theoretically, a Noble Republic could work with the council electing a King from among the noble families for lifetime every time a ruler dies, while the council itself would be elected by citizens, representing an aristocratic alternative to the parliamentary republic.
The term Noble Republic can refer to:
- History of Poland (1569–1795)
- Golden Liberty, the political system of that time in Poland
Famous quotes containing the words noble and/or republic:
“O what a noble mind is here o’erthrown!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Royalty is a government in which the attention of the nation is concentrated on one person doing interesting actions. A Republic is a government in which that attention is divided between many, who are all doing uninteresting actions. Accordingly, so long as the human heart is strong and the human reason weak, Royalty will be strong because it appeals to diffused feeling, and Republics weak because they appeal to the understanding.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)