I've been looking at old dictionary/encyclopedia definitions of "Democracy", "Republic", "Commonwealth", etc. The sources mention the Republic of Venice, Republic of Genoa, and United Provinces as examples of aristocratic republics, and then mention the "Government of BaĊżil" as an example of a truly democratic republic. What's that? Some other city-state?
It means the government of Basel
In this book, it's considered democratic compared to the rest of Old Swiss Confederacy, because it relied on the rule of unchecked assemblies open to every citizen.