Montesquieu and Rousseau both use the example of the Roman Republic in their works to explore the desirable yet irretrievable aspects of ancient republics. Yet, the real work that Rome has been doing in their works has been largely neglected. Montesquieu's Considerations on the Greatness of the...

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract provides an abstract theory of political association, one that is often touted as one of the first endorsements of direct democracy as its only legitimate form. However, in certain remarks throughout the text, and most notably in Book IV, he provides a...