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Siaka Stevens
The Whigs were a liberal British political party that largely drove the Glorious Revolution and dominated Parliament from 1715 to 1760. Acemoglu and Robinson note that the Whigs’ political incentives and interests changed after they took power—in many cases, they switched from demanding more pluralistic institutions to protecting their own privileges. However, because the Glorious Revolution put important checks on parliamentary power, the Whigs didn’t manage to take full control of the government. This is an example of how inclusive institutions often protect themselves and become more inclusive over time (a phenomenon known as the virtuous circle).
The Whig Party Quotes in Why Nations Fail
The Why Nations Fail quotes below are all either spoken by The Whig Party or refer to The Whig Party. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 11
Quotes
The rule of law is not imaginable under absolutist political institutions. It is a creation of pluralist political institutions and of the broad coalitions that support such pluralism. It’s only when many individuals and groups have a say in decisions, and the political power to have a seat at the table, that the idea that they should all be treated fairly starts making sense. By the early eighteenth century, Britain was becoming sufficiently pluralistic, and the Whig elites would discover that, as enshrined in the notion of the rule of law, laws and institutions would constrain them, too.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Whig Party Quotes in Why Nations Fail
The Why Nations Fail quotes below are all either spoken by The Whig Party or refer to The Whig Party. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 11
Quotes
The rule of law is not imaginable under absolutist political institutions. It is a creation of pluralist political institutions and of the broad coalitions that support such pluralism. It’s only when many individuals and groups have a say in decisions, and the political power to have a seat at the table, that the idea that they should all be treated fairly starts making sense. By the early eighteenth century, Britain was becoming sufficiently pluralistic, and the Whig elites would discover that, as enshrined in the notion of the rule of law, laws and institutions would constrain them, too.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
