It is ESSENTIAL to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans, and claim for their government the honorable title of republic.

Madison, James. "No. 47: Complete separation of powers not required.--Madison." The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States, edited by Robert Scigliano. The Modern Library, 2001.

Franklin, Benjamin. Quoted in "'A Republic if you can keep it': Elizabeth Willing Powwel, Benjamin Franklin, and the James McHenry Journal. Library of Congress. Posted 6 Jan. 2022, blogs.loc.gov/manuscripts.

Burke, Edmund. "Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies." The Portable Edmund Burke, edited by Isaac Kramnick. Penguin, 2009.