Can a Country be Both a Republic and an Empire To truly understand if a country is truly capable of being both an empire and a republic, we must first know their characteristics. In a republic the sovereign state or country elects officials to represent the citizens (I.e. U.S., Ireland, Mexico). In an empire, the power belongs to a supreme authority figure (I.e. Byzantine Empire, British Empire, Ottoman Empire). There are already countries that are both a republic and an empire, therefore a country is capable of being both a republic and an empire.
For example, the majority of Ireland is a republic, but Northern Ireland is governed by the United Kingdom. The entire country is still Ireland; it just has six counties being ruled by the UK.
For example, the majority of Ireland is a republic, but Northern Ireland is governed by the United Kingdom. The entire country is still Ireland; it just has six counties being ruled by the UK.