Civic Republicanism

Civil Republicanism is designed as in contrast with monarchy. Its tradition is associated with thinkers such as Aristotle, Cicero, Guicciardin, Machavelli, James Harrington and Rousseau. In modern times, Republican tradition has been developed by Hannah Ardent, John Pollock, Skinner and others. The ideas of republicanism have developaed from the collective desire to replace ‘the empire of men with empire of law’.

Republicanism has its origin in Greek Culture and Plato and Aristotle first initiated this idea. It is related with the ends of the political community as Aristotle has said, “political community is the good life and good in the politics is the community”. The freedom and good life of the civil republican Government based on the free choice underlies the civil republican idea of freedom and the Government. 

The Idea of Republican Government

The idea of Republican Government is in sync with the republican idea of freedom as non-domination. The republican Government works on the principles of non-domination and non-interference. In such Government, each citizen feels that he or she is not being ruled by other or dominated by other people, but his own interests are behind the rule.

The principle of civic virtue, the idea of common good and the notion of the active civic participation are the underlying principles of the republican Government. It is also based on the principle that one should keep common interest above the private interests. Another feature of the republican Government is that it places equal stress on the fragility of virtue and, resulting into the corruption of the people and the Government. It cautions people and Government the susceptibility of the corruption, which is a potent threat to republicanism.

To guard against the threats of the corruption and dishonesty, civil republican puts forward many measures. The most effective check against the corruption is the active participation by the people in the day–to–day activities of the governance. The active civil participation is considered as antipode to the corruption and misgovernance. The citizens are required to keep internal vigilance in this regard, as vigilance is the price of the liberty. It also puts emphasis on the citizenship and constitutionalism as potent measures to ward of the threat to the ideal and principles of the civil republicanism.

However, the republican idea of citizenship is different from the liberal idea of citizenship, which is based on the passive concept of its role and nature. The republican idea of the citizenship is dynamic one, assigning active role to citizens in governance. According to republicanism, citizenship consists those rights, which provides citizens with freedom to actively interact with other citizens ‘under free conditions and in the pursuit of the freedom and equality.’

In addition to civic participation, civic republicanism emphasizes on the constitutionalism as measure to guard against the threats to the republican virtue. The constitutionalism is the most effective safeguard against the encroachment of individual liberty. Individual freedom and liberty has been at the centre of many movements, controversies and idealism in political science. If one takes ‘Bird’s eye’ view of state, its origin and its relations, individual liberty and its preservation has been its primary concern.

Except for idealistic view of state by Hegel and Hobbsian ‘Monolith’ (having all inclusive power) who put state or king above people, almost all writers and ‘ism’ have directly or indirectly endorsed the importance and supremacy of individual rights. Whether be it Liberalism, Neo-liberalism, Classical, Neoclassical, Capitalism etc. believe in the supremacy of individual over state. They consider state as means to attain and safeguard individual liberty.

The constitutionalism has evolved as an effective mechanism (machinery) for preserving individual liberty and freedom. It does so by putting effective checks and restrictions on state power. It effects a clear-cut division of powers and spheres of activities between Government and people, and also within Government.

The constitutionalism takes proper steps to see that no organ of Government - Executive, Legislature and Judiciary emerges too powerful as to endanger individual liberty. Our Indian Constitution, with separation of power and clear-cut provision of individual freedom in Part III under the heading of Fundamental Rights, is an illustrative example of this. The executive (Government) or legislature (Parliament) could not suspend these rights except some extraordinary situations like war and other such emergency like situations. Nor they can trespass each– other sphere of activities.

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