Republic and Empire: Why the Two Are Not Mutually Exclusive

To quote an author on Associated Content, "The primary goal of our erstwhile republic turned empire is to control a larger share than anyone else of the remaining oil wealth available to the nations." The implication clearly being that republic was a term that is mentioned only in name - largely abandoned once America began its imperialistic ventures, as they claim. This article is not to discuss the imperialism or lackthereof of the United States but rather a historical and linguistic explanation as to how the two terms are not mutually exclusive towards one another.

The above quote is not the first or only example of persons mistakenly believing that once a republic begins to expand beyond its original borders, taking on the laurel of empire, it ceases to be that form of government - and the only logic that seems to trace this idea is the mirror of the Roman Empire. In that, it is common knowledge that the Roman Republic was all but washed away by 29 B.C. and was replaced by the Empire, as it is called in modern terminology, until its splitting by Constantine the "Great" (a title much worthy of dispute) and the West's eventual collapse in the 5th century. In a previous article, the author detailed the civic differences between empire and republic while in another the author detailed the office of emperor, or princeps - therefore that shall not be labored in explanation here.