Popular Sovereignty and Constitutional Democracy

36 Pages Posted: 17 Dec 2024

See all articles by Philip N. Pettit

Philip N. Pettit

Princeton University; Australian National University (ANU) - Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS)

Date Written: January 01, 2022

Abstract

In recent times, the idea of popular sovereignty has figured prominently in the rhetoric of neo-populist thinkers and activists who argue that legal and political authority must be concentrated in one single body or individual elected by the people to act in its name. The thesis of this article is that, while the notion of popular sovereignty may seem to offer some support to the neo-populist image of democracy, it serves more persuasively to support the idea of a polycentric, constitutional democracy. The constitutional state can be polycentric and yet feature a sovereign. And if this constitutional state is democratic in the sense of distributing power relatively equally amongst individual citizens, thus empowering the people-several, then it will establish the people-corporate in the role of sovereign..

Keywords: constitutional democracy, Jean Bodin, neo-populism, polycentrism, popular sovereignty

Suggested Citation

Pettit, Philip N., Popular Sovereignty and Constitutional Democracy
(January 01, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5043085 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5043085

Philip N. Pettit (Contact Author)

Princeton University ( email )

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Princeton, NJ 08544-1012
United States
609-258-4759 (Phone)
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HOME PAGE: http://www.princeton.edu/~ppettit/

Australian National University (ANU) - Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS) ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

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