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Pluralism
Rule of law is the political concept that the law applies equally to everyone, including elites and government officials. The rule of law is an important check on abuses of power, and it promotes inclusive institutions.
Rule of Law Quotes in Why Nations Fail
The Why Nations Fail quotes below are all either spoken by Rule of Law or refer to Rule of Law. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 10
Quotes
The leaders of the French Revolution and, subsequently, Napoleon exported the revolution to these lands, destroying absolutism, ending feudal land relations, abolishing guilds, and imposing equality before the law—the all-important notion of rule of law, which we will discuss in greater detail in the next chapter. The French Revolution thus prepared not only France but much of the rest of Europe for inclusive institutions and the economic growth that these would spur.
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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.
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Rule of Law Term Timeline in Why Nations Fail
The timeline below shows where the term Rule of Law appears in Why Nations Fail. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10: The Diffusion of Prosperity
...these places, the French army abolished serfdom, ended the clergy and guilds’ privileges, and established rule of law . After taking control of France, Napoleon advanced these same interests. After his defeat, some...
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Chapter 11: The Virtuous Circle
...had changed: the powerful couldn’t use the courts as a weapon anymore. Instead, there was rule of law —meaning that the laws applied equally to everyone.
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The Glorious Revolution built the rule of law in England. It meant the Whigs couldn’t pass laws that violated citizens’ fundamental rights. But...
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...tend to survive over time: most groups can’t participate in politics without pluralism and the rule of law , so few are willing to threaten them. Moreover, as institutions become more inclusive, societies...
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...like they did throughout British colonies. Elites knew that choosing repression would mean abandoning the rule of law , pluralism, and inclusive economic institutions. They also knew that repression would probably fail, because...
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...positive feedback cycle. Such institutions make it difficult for leaders to concentrate power. Meanwhile, the rule of law prevents some groups from using the law as a weapon against others and gradually leads...
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