Final answer:
In a republic, citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf, and it relies on the principle of popular sovereignty. The United States is a constitution-based federal republic, a form of representative democracy, not a monarchy or direct democracy. Hence, the correct answer is option (D).
Step-by-step explanation:
A republic is a political system in which citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf. This contrasts with a direct democracy, where citizens would vote on laws directly. In a republic, such as the United States, citizens do not make laws themselves but instead choose officials at various levels of government to represent their interests and make decisions. Unlike in a monarchy, a republic has no hereditary ruling class, and it relies on the principle of popular sovereignty where governmental power comes from the people.
The United States is described as a constitution-based federal republic, which is similar to a representative democracy. Here, citizens elect representatives to make policy decisions for them, and these representatives are in charge of protecting the rights of the minority against the will of the majority. In the context of the options provided for the question, the answer would be that in a republic, citizens elect representatives to govern (D).