When considering various types of governments, three of the most commonly-studied include the republic, the absolute government, and the democracy. Each of these three governmental systems have unique factors that allow them to be preferred over one another; each one has served as a viable system of government for societies in years past. However, when creating a new system of government in a given state, the republic is the ideal system of government to ensure the fairest treatment for all citizens, moving most closely to equality and justice and protecting basic liberties for all. Generally speaking, the Republic is a system that views the government as a public entity, not a private one; rather than consolidating power in the hands of a few select individuals, the responsibility for leadership falls to the members of a given society. While this type of government can include the vast majority of individuals, such as in a democracy, it can also be restricted to just a select few individuals, such as in an aristocracy or oligarchy. In comparison to the absolute government, though, the Republic works to disseminate power more readily to more individuals, ensuring that individuals are protected from the abuses of power that can occur when rule is passed on from one solitary individual to another, often through hereditary elements (Mayer, 2005). When comparing the concept of a democracy to that of the republic, there is a great deal in common between the two. John Adams wrote that a republic is “an Empire of Laws, and not of men,” something that creates an air of formality and accountability where there might otherwise not be (Taylor et al., 1977). A republic is any system of government in which the public plays a role in their rule; this can be through the election of representatives to an assembly such as Parliament or through individuals directly casting ballots