Commonwealth
Webpages concerning "Commonwealth"
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Wikipedia-Article "Commonwealth"
- Alternative meanings: the Commonwealth of Nations or Commonwealth of Independent States
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Definition and linguistics
The original phrase "common wealth" or "the common weal" is a calque translation of the Latin term res publica ('public matters'), from which the word republic comes, which was itself used as a synonym for the greek politeia as well as for the republican (i.e. non-monarchical) Roman constitution (in legal theory still in force during the empire, see Principate).
The English noun Commonwealth dates originally from the fifteenth century and in different contexts indicates:
- a political unit founded in law by agreement of the people for the common good;
- a federated union of constituent states;
- a republic;
- a Co-operative Commonwealth is a society based on cooperative and socialist principles.
International or Multinational
Commonwealth of Nations
When capitalised, "Commonwealth" refers to the Commonwealth of Nations - formerly the "British Commonwealth" - a loose confederation of nations formerly members of the British Empire (with one exception: Mozambique). The Commonwealth's membership includes both republics and monarchies and the (appointed, not hereditary) head of the Commonwealth of Nations is Queen Elizabeth II. She also reigns as monarch directly in a number of states, known as Commonwealth Realms, notably the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica and others. The Commonwealth of Nations is sometimes referred to as the New Commonwealth in a British context.
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a loose alliance or confederation consisting of 12 of the 15 former Soviet Republics. Its creation signaled the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its purpose being to "allow a civilized divorce" between the Soviet Republics. The CIS has developed as forum by which the member-states can co-operate, and even integrate, in areas of economics, defense and foreign policy.
National
Great Britain
The Commonwealth of England was the official name of the political unit (de facto military rule in the name of parliamentary supremacy) that replaced the kingdoms of Scotland and England (after the English Civil War) under the rule of Oliver Cromwell and his successors from 1649 to 1660. It formed the first republic in the English-speaking world, though this quickly devolved into a pseudo-monarchy. The Cromwellian Commonwealth is sometimes referred to as the Old Commonwealth in a British context.
Australia
The term also served when the six Australian colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act created a federal system, in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the States - the evolved status of the colonies. The Constitution stipulated that Australia was a constitutional monarchy, where the Head of State, the British (or, since 1973, Australian) monarch, is represented at federal and state level by a Governor-General and Governor respectively. The Parliament of Australia was derived from the British, Canadian and American systems to form a uniquely Australian system. It is largely based on the Westminster System, with a similar structure - House of Representatives, Senate - to the US Congress. In an Australian context, the term "Commonwealth" (capitalised) thus refers to the federal government.
Dominica
The official title of Dominica is Commonwealth of Dominica.
Various other states have also used the title "commonwealth" since that time.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Commonwealth of Poland
Commonwealth is still an alternative translation of the official name of the Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita). Wincenty Kadłubek (Vincent Kadlubo, 1160-1223) used for the first time the original Latin term res publica in the context of Poland in his "Chronicles of the Kings and Princes of Poland". The name was used officially for the federal country formed by Poland and Lithuania 1569-1795.
It is also often referred as "Nobles' Commonwealth" (1505-1795, i.e. before the union). In contemporary political doctrine of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, "our state is a Republic (Commonwealth) under presidency of the King". The commonwealth introduced a doctrine of religious tolerance (see Warsaw Confederation), had its own parliament Sejm (although elections were restricted to the gentry or szlachta) and elected kings, who were bound to certain contracts Pacta conventa from the beginning of the reign. The foundation stones of the Commonwealth (also called the Golden Freedoms) used to be
- free election of the king
- Pacta conventa, a binding pledge agreed to by the King on his election
- rokosz, the right of rebellion against kings who did not rule in accordance with their pledge
- liberum veto (a later development), the right for a single representative to veto the entire proceedings of the Sejm
- confederatio (confederation), a military organisation of the citizens for the attainment of common political aims.
It is worth to note that "A commonwealth of good counsaile" was the title of the 1607 English translation of the work of Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki "De optimo senatore" that presented to English readers many of the ideas present in the political system of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Other states that use the name Commonwealth
- The small Caribbean republic of Dominica has used the official style Commonwealth of Dominica since 1978.
- The Bahamas, a Commonwealth Realm, adopted the official style The Commonwealth of the Bahamas upon independence in 1973.
Subnational
United States
Four states in the United States officially designate themselves "commonwealths": Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. See Commonwealth or State?
"Commonwealth" is also used in the U.S. to describe the political relationship between the United States and the overseas unincorporated territories of Puerto Rico and of the Northern Marianas (see: commonwealth (U.S. insular area)).
Fictional
- In the Andromeda TV series, the Systems Commonwealth is a galactic or inter-planetary government.
- In Red Faction and Red Faction II there is a government called "The Commonwealth".