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One obvious influence of the Roman Empire is the idea of a republic, a concept of governing by elected legislative and executive systems. The system in Rome also had a judicial system that, similar to today, was considered as a the primary way to uphold citizens’ rights and represent one of the have checks and balances in government.<ref>For a general discussion on the Roman Republic and its governing influence see: Millar, Fergus. 2002. ''The Roman Republic in Political Thought.'' The Menahem Stern Jerusalem Lectures. Hanover: University Press of New England.</ref>

While many democracies today have based their systems on this Roman concept, the legacy of Rome has been in continuous use since the fall of the Roman Empire. It was not just the Roman Republic but also the Roman Empire, the concept of strong central government ruled by an emperor who brought order and power, that profoundly influenced Asian and European governments particularly in the centuries that followed the fall of Rome.