Precarious Prerogative. An Analysis of Lockean Political Thought

Essay from the year 2016 in the subject Politics - Political Theory and the History of Ideas Journal, grade: 4.00, Indiana University (College of Arts and Sciences - Political Science Department), course: POLS-Y210 Rule of Law, language: English, abstract: This paper seeks to argue that the notion of executive prerogative forwarded by John Locke as a necessary political tool for a sovereign to exercise in times of national emergency is not practically or theoretically suitable in a modern context.

Furthermore, the paper seeks to reveal a theoretical tension between Locke's idea of executive prerogative and more valuable foundational political ideas such natural rights and social contract theory.