Tuesday, January 26, 2010

PSC 341 Machiavelli's cycles of Governments

According to Machiavelli's writings in Discourses, governments instituted amongst men go through a predictable cycle, that if not countered with a series of checks and balances, will continusly evolve and devolve, however staying within the confines of the cycle. These forms of governing are monarchies, arostocracies, and democracies- which are considered the good form of government. These good forms of government have opposing forms, tyranny, oligarchy and anarchy, repectively. If men do not create a hybrid form, as Machiavelli refrences Romes government, they will surely fail and will follow the cycle. "Those who know how to construct a constitution wisley...creating a constitution with elements of each...preserved by checks and balances...present in the one city, a monarch, an aristocracy and a democracy". Based off of this ideology, one can see commonalities of the US Constitution and Machiavelli's beliefs on gonvernment, and can draw why the US Constitution has survived for over 200 years.

1 comment:

Prof. Hersch said...

Matt,

Excellent job -- clear and accurate summary and analysis. My only suggestion is that I'd like to hear just a bit more about how Mach's "mixed govt" is like the US (and perhaps how it is not.)

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