A theoretical and historical survey of the evolution of republican (representative) government, with a particular focus upon European and American institutions. The course alternates between philosophical treatments and empirical studies of republican regimes. Questions include: How did republican government evolve (in England and France) centuries before mass elections? What institutions besides elections keep the ruled attuned to the people? Did arguments for legislative supremacy prefigure the rise of parliamentary authority? If so, how? How did modern republics co-evolve with institutions of slavery? What is the role of virtue in a democratic republic? How can government ensure the “rule of the wise” without fostering autocratic power? What critique might republican theory advance of populist and libertarian arrangements, and how populist and libertarian critics respond?
Offered: Harvard University, Fall 2018
Position: Teaching Fellow for Prof. Daniel Carpenter (Government)