Radical Republicanism: Recovering the Tradition’s Popular Heritage

Over recent decades we have had an academic revival of ‘republicanism’, hitherto neglected in comparison to liberalism, socialism, and conservativism. Amongst its core principles republicanism as a political ideology and tradition is committed to popular sovereignty as the source of political legitimacy, the widespread political involvement of ordinary citizens in making the republic’s laws, and in a commitment to the common good of all citizens rather than sectional interests. There are both moderate and radical strands of the republican tradition which diverge on a number of key matters including the extent to which citizens are involved in the political realm, what is defined as the common good, and on how to effectively realise - and indeed understand - republican freedom. Most recent literature on republicanism has focussed on the moderate strands of the tradition, with this volume introducing and restoring the centrality of its radical elements.