From the Latin res publica. Translated means "the public affair", the public "thing", the law. So it has come down to us as meaning the rule of law. And what that means is that the government is constrained by the law - not the private citizen. In the case of our US Constitution, it was set up to do just that. Empower the federal government to perform certain "enumerated" functions, and everything else is left to the states and the people themselves. As expressly written in the 10th Amendment. --------------------------- History clearly shows how dangerous government can be; and, what a terrible form of government democracy is. The Founders correctly recognized these dangers, and tried to prevent them from arising in the future by tightly restricting the authority of the FedGov. Unfortunately, the Robber Barons of over 100 years ago, their descendants and successors, and other opportunists have been successful in freeing the FedGov from the chains of the Constitution. The rule of law, our liberties, our private property, our currency, and of course the family unit have all been under steady attack ever since.
