Sovereignty

What It Covers

Jean Bodin's 1576 theory of sovereignty established four defining characteristics—supreme, absolute, indivisible, and perpetual authority—that shaped political philosophy through Hobbes, Rousseau, and the American and French revolutions, creating ongoing debates about democratic legitimacy.

Key Questions Answered

• •Bodin's Definition: Sovereignty requires four traits: supremacy with no terrestrial superior, absolute authority beyond any tribunal, indivisibility of legislative power and war-making rights in one body, and perpetual continuity to prevent destabilizing power transfers during religious wars.
• •Hobbes' Innovation: The Leviathan represents collective power transferred irrevocably from people to a representative sovereign, creating unity from a disunited multitude. Without this transfer and ongoing disposition to obey through public doctrine, no commonwealth can exist—only competing factions.
• •Rousseau's Revolution: Democratic sovereignty must reside with the people's assembly for fundamental laws, but day-to-day administration requires separate government structures. This separation between sovereign authority and administrative power became central to post-revolutionary constitutional design across Europe and America.
• •American Application: The 1765 Declaratory Act demonstrated sovereignty versus enforceability—Britain asserted legal authority over colonies while lacking practical power to impose it. Massachusetts' 1778 referendum introduced popular votes on constitutional fundamentals, establishing direct democratic participation beyond representation.