A Structural Analysis of Administrative Despotism in Post-Revolutionary France

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K16988
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Politics
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAYAMA Yuji 明治大学, 政治経済学部, 専任准教授 (90453969)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 行政の専制 / ボナパルティズム / トクヴィル / フランス第二帝政 / デモクラシー / ポピュリズム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I analyzed the structure of “Administrative Despotism” both theoretically and empirically through examining the policies of Napoleon III and its principles as well as reading Ancien Regime and the Revolution by Alexis de Tocqueville and its working manuscripts. As a result, this study identified three elements of the democratic centralization of power: presidential system, bureaucratic organization and economic policies. Furthermore, it cleared that the key element is the economic principle that would balance administrative centralization with economic liberalism.

Free Research Field

政治学・政治誌思想史