Government can take any of several forms:
democracy - Government by popular vote. There is no constitution and there is no representatives. This is an unstable form of government, since sooner or later (usually sooner) one faction gains control and becomes the Ruling Class. This form of government usually dissolves into an oligarchy or dictatorship. Athens dissolved into a dictatorship.
dictatorship - Government by a single ruler such as a king or queen. Other titles may be used to try to mask the dictatorship (such as Commander, President (of what?), Governor, or Prime Minister).
oligarchy - Government by committee. Essentially a dictatorship using a committee instead of a single ruler.
theocracy - Government by religion. Just another form of an oligarchy or dictatorship, with the government 'church' being the elite, and claiming to speak for a god or gods.
republic - Government by law, or a constitution. That constitution defines the structure of that government, gives it a limited scope of authority which it cannot legally exceed, has representatives that are defined and how they are to be elected, and usually a list of prohibited laws or 'fundamental rights' that said government cannot legally interfere with. This is the form of government of each State of the States of America.
A government may be federated. That is to say, it may have layers of jurisdiction. Any type of government may be federated.
The United States was formed as a federated republic. It is a republic, with sovereign republics under the common republic.
The United States fell during a coup by Democrats in 2020. At that time, the federal government became an oligarchy. Since then, the States of America have been working to restore the United States government as a republic.
Throughout most of history, governments have typically been oligarchies or dictatorships, complete with all the problems and tyranny that implies. Colonists came to America to escape that tyranny, eventually forming the United States of America.
My minute is up.
