Economy is the necessary factor of changing political institution

Since I am taking political science this term, I read many articles in the area of revolution and political institution. Recently, an article named “French Revolution cause: An Economic Crisis” caught my eyes, which has something relating to our business class. I want to share my reflections with you. 
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The development of human society is always accompanied by the changes of political institution. People would like to push forward a new institution when a severe problem has occurred to the former one. I believe that it is the economic problem that can trigger the changes of political institution.

First of all, let us focus on how political institution is formed. Rousseau stated in Social Contract Theory that social order is originated from the common initial state and naïve convention. Whenever the barrier of surviving is beyond people’s capability to endure in the natural state, people are compelled to change their way of living. Nothing could people do to create new power but gather the power to overcome difficulties in their lives. The way of gathering is just what we call as political institution, while the barriers of surviving are the initial economic problem that people meet. Accordingly, political institution cannot be separated from economy in the very beginning.
Taxes_peopleSecondly, let us give attention to people’s motivation of driving reformation. Motivation originates from requirement, while requirement includes material and consciousness. It is hard to make consensus on consciousness since everyone holds different value towards life. However, on the material level, all the fortune is quantitative, so that people would like to form an alliance on the essential of material requirement rather than consciousness. Economy influences the allocation of substance and then provides people the motivation to reform, which leads to the change of political institution at last. 

 

Thirdly, let us pay attention to the social status of these supporters. On a large scale, these supporters process the means of production and techniques, which compose to the main body of social economy. The situation that they process economic base but lack in political power limits them from achieving further development. On this occasion, they want to break the old institution and build a new one which is on behalf of them. Not only do these people have the most imperative motivation but also process the sufficient material base, so they are capable of doing what they want to do. As a result, the people with sufficient material base can give impetus to the change of political institution.

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Lastly, let us review some historical events. It is always the industrialists and businessmen who promote the change of institution. For example, The British bourgeois revolution is leaded by newly-arising bourgeoisie. The Russian Revolution is sponsored by the working class.

All in all, the backward of economy will bring about the formation of political institution, while the imbalance of economy can result in the evaporation. Economy is both the motivation and capacity of changing institutions, and it simultaneously decides whether people are willing to reform or capable to reform. As a result, economy is the necessary factor of the change of political institution.

More to read

http://bastille-day.com/history/Economic-Cause

French Revolution cause: An Economic Crisis

 

http://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-economics-of-the-american-revolutionary-war-2/

The Economics of the American Revolutionary War

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