Can a political elite hold itself accountable? Left to its
own devices, absent a virtuous citizenry, a political elite is able to exploit
a conflict of interest in both wielding the authority of government and using
that power even to constrain the elite itself. Unfortunately, even where an
electorate is virtuous, the dispersed condition of the popular sovereign is an
impediment to galvanizing enough popular will to act as a counter-power to that
of a political elite, which is relatively concentrated and well-informed. In
early 2017, the problem was on full display in the E.U. state of France, with
little the federal government could do given the amount of governmental
sovereignty still residing at the state level. So the question is whether an
electorate can galvanize enough power to counter that of a political elite.
François Fillon in trouble for corruption amid an ensconced political elite. (Christian Hartmann/Reuters)
The full essay is at "François Fillon."
