V.I. Fadeev. Excerpts from the History of Popular Representation: Formation of Functional Representation

Abstract: Historical and theoretical roots of people’s representation in general have been thoroughly well known by historians of legal science, but modern research drawing on the origins of people’s representation is likely to face considerable difficulties and hazards, which are barely surmountable in order to recreate an integral, consistent and free of contradictions pattern of formation and development of functional representation system in the field of public authority. The author of the article determines which institutions of public authority have laid foundation of becoming and development of institutes of representation democracy which should be understood as the starting point of this process thus directly and indirectly contributing to formation of representation authorities. The article also addresses a number of other issues, specifically: what was the precursor of people’s representation, what political institution even in the very beginning of its existence contained future potential of people’s representation including the direction of its development. The author of this article considered the origination of the Cortes in Spain, formation of the English Parliament and establishment of States General in France. The author looking back to historical roots of people’s representation emerging from the depths of society and expressing in the most clear-cut manner the idea of people’s sovereignty, the idea of the law as embodiment of common will aiming to achieve the common good, attempts to determine how efficient people’s representation can be today as far as its social roles are concerned. Based on historical theory methodology, the author showed how efficiently people’s representation can contribute to development of democratic rule, by ensuring public dialogue of people and authorities about directions of development of society and state and about selection of ways and means of solving objectives and problems. And to what extent it can organize public movement intended for serving supreme spiritual goals, creation of healthy statehood and preventing severance of authorities from society, its full and uncontrolled domination of society, while ensuring political and personal liberty of human being.

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