Republican:
In political science, a republican (lowercase r) is a person who advocates the establishment of a republic as a form of government, in contrast to a monarchist.
In politics, a Republican (uppercase R) is a member, delegate or supporter of any Republican political party; for example the United States Republican Party, Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party in the Republic of Ireland, etc. The politics of these parties varies widely with the context, although there is a common thread of support for an “independent” state.
The Republican Party (often GOP for Grand Old Party) is one of the two major political parties in the United States. The current President of the United States, George W. Bush, is a member of the party – and by rules common to both major U.S. parties, its head – and it has majorities in the Senate and the House. The GOP is a conservative (or right-wing) party, and it has numerous internal factions.
The party was organized in Ripon, Wisconsin on February 28, 1854, as a party opposed to the westward expansion of slavery. It is not to be confused with the Democratic-Republican party of Thomas Jefferson or the National Republican Party of Henry Clay. The first convention of the U.S. Republican Party was held on July 6, 1854, in Jackson, Michigan. Many of its initial policies were inspired by the defunct Whig Party. Since its inception, its chief opposition has been the Democratic Party.
Modern Republican party logo, depicts a stylized elephant in red, white, and blue.
The official symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant. Although the elephant had occasionally been associated with the party earlier, a political cartoon by Thomas Nast, published in Harper’s Weekly on November 7, 1874, is considered the first important use of the symbol. In the early 20th century, the traditional symbol of the Republican party in Midwestern states such as Indiana and Ohio was the eagle, as opposed to the Democratic rooster. This symbol still appears on Indiana ballots
Some other possible uses of Republican are:
Jämtland Republicans is a swedish American Football team.
In the Spanish Civil War, Republican was the name given for the side which fought unsuccessfully in defence of the Second Spanish Republic, and which were defeated by the forces of General Francisco Franco.
A republican in the context of Northern Ireland is someone who supports a range of Northern Irish parties, most notably Sinn Féin, from the nationalist community who possess an armed wing and engaged in what are seen as terrorist activity. Republican can also mean a supporter of the military organisation, such as the Irish Republican Army or the Irish National Liberation Army. Many of these organisations claim descent from earlier Irish republican movements such as the Irish Republican Brotherhood or the Easter Rising mounted in 1916.
