Guarantee of Republican Government

E47305

Guarantee of Republican Government is the constitutional principle in Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution that obligates the federal government to ensure each state maintains a republican form of government and protection against invasion and domestic violence.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf clause of the United States Constitution
constitutional principle
federal obligation
adopted 1788
aimsToPrevent aristocracy in the states
monarchy in the states
non-republican forms of state government
alsoKnownAs Guarantee Clause
Republican Guarantee Clause
appliesTo each state of the United States
associatedWithDoctrine political question doctrine
category Clauses of the United States Constitution
Constitutional law of the United States
Federal-state relations in the United States
conditionedOn application of the state executive when the legislature cannot be convened
application of the state legislature for protection against domestic violence
constitutionalSource United States Constitution
draftedBy Constitutional Convention of 1787
ensures minimum standard of republican governance in states
foundIn Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution
guarantees a republican form of government to every state
protection against domestic violence to every state
protection against invasion to every state
hasComponent guarantee of republican form of government
protection against domestic violence
protection against invasion
historicalContext concern over preservation of republicanism in the states
imposesDutyOn federal government of the United States
influencedBy fear of faction and tyranny in state governments
republican theory of government
interpretedBy Supreme Court of the United States
interpretedIn Baker v. Carr
Luther v. Borden
Pacific States Telephone & Telegraph Co. v. Oregon
jurisdiction United States
language English
legalBasisFor federal intervention to protect state governments
federal protection of states against insurrection
federal protection of states against invasion
limits ability of states to adopt non-republican constitutions
partOf Article IV of the United States Constitution
relatedTo federalism in the United States
separation of powers between federal and state governments
requires republican form of government in each state
scopeIncludes form of state government
protection against external military attack
protection against internal uprisings
text "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence."
usedToJustify federal action during Reconstruction

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Article IV of the United States Constitution
Section 4Title

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