government theory

Chapter 42: On the Forms of the State
132．As mentioned above, when men first united into a society, the majority naturally possessed all the powers belonging to the community, and they could use it at any time to make laws for the society, and enforce them through officials appointed by themselves. The form is a pure democracy; or, if the power to make laws is vested in a select few and their heirs or successors, this constitutes an oligarchy; or, if the power is vested in a particular If the power is exercised by people, it is monarchy; if the power is exercised by the monarch and his heirs, this is hereditary monarchy; For the majority, this is an elective monarchy.From these above-mentioned forms, therefore, the community may establish, in such manner as men think fit, such compound or mixed forms of government as are required.If the legislative power is first handed over by the majority to one person or persons, and is exercised only during the life of this person or persons or for a certain period of time, and then the supreme power is withdrawn, then when the power is reassigned in this way When they are satisfied, the community can give it back to whomever it pleases, thus forming a new form of government.Therefore, the form of government is determined by the ownership of the supreme power, that is, the legislative power, not by the subordinate powers ordering the superiors, and it is not by anyone other than the supreme power to make laws.So whoever gets the power to make laws determines what the state will be like.

133． The term "commonwealth", which I have interpreted throughout this article to mean any independent society, does not refer to democracy or any form of government.The Latins used the word "civitas" to designate this society, and the closest equivalent in our language is "commonwealth."It can most accurately express a kind of society like human beings, but the English "community" (community) or "city" (city) are not appropriate to compare with it.For various communities may come under the same government, and the word "city" has a quite different meaning for us than "commonwealth."Therefore, in order to avoid ambiguity of meaning, I ask the reader to allow me to use "commonwealth" to express.I find that James I once used the word in this sense, and I think that is what the word really means.If anyone doesn't like the word, I agree with him to replace it with a better word.

(End of this chapter)