Referendum - a direct vote by the people on an issue of public policy.

Representative democracy - system of government which derives its authority from the people and governs according to the will of the majority, but in which the people elect individuals to represent their will.

Republic - form of government based on a constitution, in which decisions are made by elected or appointed officials in a democratic manner.

Republican Party - one of the two major political parties in the United States. Different members of the Republican Party hold different political views, and the party platform may change from administration to administration. Nevertheless, the Republican Party has generally draws support from upper-middle class and wealthy Americans; and has traditionally supported cutting taxes and reducing the level of government participation in the society and economy.

Reserved powers (residual powers) - powers given to the states that are not enumerated in the US Constitution. According to the Tenth Amendment, "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Revolution - complete and usually violent process by which the government and its manner of rule are taken out of power, and a new government is established. Many Americans fought the Revolutionary War in order to remove the colonial British government and establish a new system.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques (1712-78) - Swiss-born philosopher, social reformer and political theorist who supported the idea of government being controlled by the general will of the people, i.e., popular sovereignty. His views were more extreme than those of John Locke, who greatly influenced the intellectual defense of the American Revolution. Although his views had more influence in the French Revolution than the American Revolution, Rousseau's works were widely read in by Americans, including political theorist and pamphleteer Thomas Paine (1737-1809). Rousseau's most famous work was Du contrat social (The Social Contract).

Rule of law - doctrine that no individual stands above the law, and that all rulers are answerable to the law. This is one of the major legacies of the constitutional system. The rule of law can also be understood as the belief that there is a universal standard of justice, equality and impartiality, against which all governments and governmental actions may be measured.

Rule of men - doctrine that an individual or government may stand above the law, and rule according to personal whim or choice. The doctrine reflects the belief that standards of justice, equality and impartiality are subjective, not universal. This is the opposite of the rule of law.