Key Concepts: Liberalism, Revolutions, and Economic Systems
Liberalism
Liberalism is a philosophical, economic, and political ideology that promotes civil liberties. It opposes any form of despotism, giving rise to Republican principles and underlying representative democracy and the separation of powers.
Boston Tea Party
On Tuesday, December 16th, 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place. American colonists protested against Great Britain by dumping tea into the water. This event is considered a precursor to the War of Independence of the United States.
Girondins
The Girondins were a moderate political group in the Federalist National Assembly and National Convention, composed of deputies from the Gironde region. They primarily belonged to the provincial bourgeoisie of major coastal ports. Their violent confrontation with the Montagnards dominated the early months of the National Convention.
Jacobins
The Jacobins were members of a political group from the French Revolution called the Jacobin Club, headquartered in Paris. Republicans advocating for popular sovereignty, their vision of the indivisibility of the nation led them to advocate for a centralized state. They are often associated with the Reign of Terror, partly due to the Thermidorian Reaction against Robespierre. In the 19th century, Jacobinism inspired Republican parties that promoted the Second and Third French Republics. In contemporary France, the term is associated with a centralized view of the Republic.
Economic Liberalism
Economic liberalism was ineffective in addressing the problems of the Industrial Revolution because it neglected social justice. Denying sovereignty was frowned upon by the monarchs of the Restoration. It was attacked by both reactionary and revolutionary ideologies. Liberalism is considered revolutionary for advocating the destruction of the old regime but failing to address social problems.
Vocabulary
Vegetative Growth
The natural population growth rate is the difference between the number of births and the number of deaths in a specific location within a year, usually expressed per 100. It is positive when the number of births exceeds the number of deaths and negative when deaths exceed births.
Famine
Famine is a situation where a country or region lacks sufficient food and resources to feed its population, leading to an increased death rate due to hunger and malnutrition.
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system founded on private ownership of capital as a means of production. In capitalism, private individuals and companies employ workers to produce and exchange goods or services to generate profits or other benefits.
Regalism
Regalism is the set of theories and practices that uphold the sovereign’s exclusive right to certain royalties (rights and prerogatives of kings, inherent to sovereignty), especially those that clashed with the rights of the Pope.
Parliamentarism
Parliamentarism, also known as a parliamentary system, is a mechanism where the government (executive branch) is chosen by and accountable to the parliament (legislature). This is based on the principle of political trust, where the legislative and executive branches are closely linked, and the executive depends on the parliament’s confidence to remain in power.
Mercantilism
Mercantilism can be understood as a set of political or economic ideas developed in Europe during the 16th, 17th, and first half of the 18th centuries. It was characterized by strong government intervention in the economy, aiming to unify the internal market and strengthen nation-states.
Physiocracy
Physiocracy was an 18th-century economic system that attributed wealth solely to nature and considered agriculture the primary economic activity.