共和（主義）是我國憲法上的基本原則之一，而公民投票是民主原則的展現。但公民投票與共和主義之間的關係為何？以往國內多數學者常常借用美國學界對此的討論。因為在美國聯邦憲法中同樣有共和主義的規定，而美國學界有見解論證認為共和制政府意指代議制的政府，因而公民投票很可能違反共和主義。本文則從政治思想史的角度，分析指出上述美國學界的看法並不全面，若綜觀其他學者所論證的脈絡，不論是從共和主義的內涵、美國制憲時期的相關歷史、制憲者著作的文意的重新詮釋，則對於共和主義似乎有新的理解；那麼對於公民投票與共和主義相違的命題，似乎應該有其他的認定。

Republicanism is one of the principles in our constitution, and a referendum is the exhibition of democracy principle. However, what is the relation between a referendum and republicanism? Domestic scholars often discussed it before in light of the views from American scholars, because there is also the privision about republicanism in the U.S. Constitution. And, some scholars in the academic community argued that republican government meant representative government, and thus a referendum possibly infringed republicanism. In this article, I would argue that, from the angle of the history of political thoughts, the views above were not overall. If we read comprehensively the demonstration contexts from other scholars, no matter in light of the contents of republicanism, the history that U.S. Constitution was made, or the reinterpretation to the meanings in works of main Framers’, we seem to get new understanding about republicanism. And, we should get new judgement about the thesis if a referendum infringes republicanism as some scholars argued so before.