Politica
- Johannes Althusius (author)
- Frederick S. Carney (translator)
- Daniel J. Elazar (foreword)
Politica presents a unique vision of the commonwealth as a harmonious ordering of natural associations. According to Althusius, power and authority grow from more local to more general associations. Of particular interest to the modern reader is Althusius’s theory of federalism. It does not refer merely to a division of powers between central and state governments, but to an ascending scale of authority in which higher institutions rely on the consent of local and voluntary associations.
Key Quotes
Presidents, Kings, Tyrants, & Despots
[I]f the supreme magistrate does not keep his pledged word, and fails to administer the realm according to his promise, then the realm, or the ephors and the leading men in its name, is the punisher of this violation and broken trust. It is then conceded to the people to change and annul the…