structure for 'Political Theory'    |     alphabetical list of themes    |     unexpand these ideas

24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 3. Government / c. Executive

[part of government which administers laws]

5 ideas
Election of officials by the elected is dangerous, because factions can control it [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Where the election of officials is concerned, electing from the elected is dangerous. For if some are willing to combine, even if they are a relatively small number, the election will always turn out according to their wish.
     From: Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1266a25)
     A reaction: The British Prime Minister is elected by the elected members of parliament of the majority party. (Boris Johnson is the current PM…). This idea reflects the great concern that earlier thinkers had about factions in politics.
In large communities it is better if more people participate in the offices [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Where the city is not small, it is more political and more democratic, if more people participate in the offices.
     From: Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1273b11)
     A reaction: Not sure what 'more political' means. This is not to avoid corruption, but because it is best to have specialists in everything. All of the state functions should be of the highest standard.
Officers should like the constitution, be capable, and have appropriate virtues and justice [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Those holding the controlling offices should possess friendship towards the constitution, great capacity for that office, and the virtue and justice required by that constitution.
     From: Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1309a33)
     A reaction: We need to remember that all officers in our democracy need to be fully committed to that system of government (which does not always seem to me to be the case).
The executive must not be the legislature, or they may exempt themselves from laws [Locke]
     Full Idea: It may be too great temptation to human frailty, apt to grasp at power, for the same persons to have the power of making laws to also have in their hands the power to execute them, whereby they may exempt themselves.
     From: John Locke (Second Treatise of Government [1690], 143)
     A reaction: The main principles of modern constitutions are devised to avoid corruption. If people were incorruptible (yeah, right) the world would presumably be run very differently, and rather more efficiently, like a good family.
I call the executive power the 'government', which is the 'prince' - a single person, or a group [Rousseau]
     Full Idea: I call 'government' or supreme administration the legitimate exercise of executive power; I call 'prince' or magistrate the man or body charged with that administration.
     From: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The Social Contract (tr Cress) [1762], III.01)
     A reaction: Whether the prince is one person or many is left up to the legislative body, which is the general will. Rousseau has no view on the matter.