Changes

The term commonwealth has its [[root]] in the [[complex]] [[Latin]] [[concept]] ''res publica''.

The term commonwealth has its [[root]] in the [[complex]] [[Latin]] [[concept]] ''res publica''.

*Date: [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_Century 15th century]

*Date: [https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_Century 15th century]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1 archaic : commonweal  

*1 archaic : commonweal  

:b : one in which supreme [[authority]] is vested in the people  

:b : one in which supreme [[authority]] is vested in the people  

:c : republic

:c : republic

*3 capitalized a : the [[English]] state from the [[death]] of [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I Charles I] in 1649 to the Restoration in 1660  

*3 capitalized a : the [[English]] state from the [[death]] of [https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I Charles I] in 1649 to the Restoration in 1660  

:b : protectorate

:b : protectorate

*4 : a state of the United States —used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

*4 : a state of the United States —used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

*7 often capitalized : a [[political]] unit having local [[autonomy]] but voluntarily united with the United States —used officially of Puerto Rico and of the Northern Mariana Islands

*7 often capitalized : a [[political]] unit having local [[autonomy]] but voluntarily united with the United States —used officially of Puerto Rico and of the Northern Mariana Islands

==Description==

==Description==

A term first used to describe the [[ideal]] state in which the [[public]] [[good]] was realized. The Cromwellian state, 1649–60, described itself as the Commonwealth. [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes Thomas Hobbes] (1588–1679), the [[political]] [[theorist]], wrote of the 'common weal', a situation of stable [[government]] and [[agreed]] [[values]] which citizens would accept and defend. The first journal of the Socialist League, founded by [[William Morris]] (1834–96) in 1884, was Commonweal. Four of the earliest British American colonies called themselves commonwealths when they became [[American]] states. In the case of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania this reflected their Puritan origins.

A term first used to describe the [[ideal]] state in which the [[public]] [[good]] was realized. The Cromwellian state, 1649–60, described itself as the Commonwealth. [https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes Thomas Hobbes] (1588–1679), the [[political]] [[theorist]], wrote of the 'common weal', a situation of stable [[government]] and [[agreed]] [[values]] which citizens would accept and defend. The first journal of the Socialist League, founded by [[William Morris]] (1834–96) in 1884, was Commonweal. Four of the earliest British American colonies called themselves commonwealths when they became [[American]] states. In the case of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania this reflected their Puritan origins.

The term today refers to [[associations]] of [[states]]. The former British Empire became the Commonwealth after the Statute of Westminster in 1931 declared that the self-governing dominions — Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa — were [[sovereign]] under the British Crown. As such, they declared war separately on Germany in 1939. Later members, from India in 1947 onwards, have usually declared themselves republics with presidents; but they have accepted the British sovereign as 'Head of the Commonwealth'. Hence the Commonwealth is a looser [[association]] than it was. Another Commonwealth is that of Independent States, founded in 1991 and including all the former Soviet republics except the Baltic states. It remains to be seen how [[dominated]] by Russia the CIS will be.

The term today refers to [[associations]] of [[states]]. The former British Empire became the Commonwealth after the Statute of Westminster in 1931 declared that the self-governing dominions — Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa — were [[sovereign]] under the British Crown. As such, they declared war separately on Germany in 1939. Later members, from India in 1947 onwards, have usually declared themselves republics with presidents; but they have accepted the British sovereign as 'Head of the Commonwealth'. Hence the Commonwealth is a looser [[association]] than it was. Another Commonwealth is that of Independent States, founded in 1991 and including all the former Soviet republics except the Baltic states. It remains to be seen how [[dominated]] by Russia the CIS will be.

[[Category: Political Science]]

[[Category: Political Science]]