What are the differences between Roman Republic and Roman Empire?

There are differences between the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. During the days of the Roman Republic, the people elected their leaders. The main leaders of the executive branch were the consuls and the praetors. Consuls were elected yearly. At first, they came from the wealthy class called the patricians. Eventually, the plebeians were able to elect the consuls also. They were responsible for running the government and conducting war. The praetors handled civil law and financial matters. At first, there was only one praetor, but eventually, there were two praetors.

During the Roman Empire, the people no longer elected the chief ruler. The emperors ruled Rome and were allowed to choose their successors. While some emperors, like Augustus, tried to make it appear that a republic still existed, the emperor was really in charge. The Roman Emperor had lots of power during the time of the Roman Empire.