'In a sweeping analysis of the originary moments of modern states, Richard Bensel unpacks the dilemma of sovereignty, showing how necessary founding rituals manage the thorny simultaneity of membership, leadership and rules. Spanning four centuries and three continents while linking political philosophy to institutions as no other scholar quite could, Bensel teaches us that even democracies are birthed from moments that are non-democratic.' Daniel Carpenter, Professor of Government, Harvard University
Preface; 1. Introduction; Part I. The Founding of Democratic States: 2. 'The Rights of Englishmen' and the English Constitution; 3. The Will of the People and the American Founding; Section I. From the Rights of Englishmen to the Declaration of Independence; Section II. From the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution; 4. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen: The French Revolution; Section I. From the Estates-General to the Execution of the King; Section II. From the Fall of the Girondins to Napoleon; Part II. The Founding of Non-Democratic States: 5. The Dictatorship of the Proletariat: The Russian Revolution; 6. Blood and Soil: The Founding of the Third Reich; 7. Islamic Theocracy: The Iranian Revolution; 8. Conclusion.