"The Two Bodies of the People"Revisited:How Modern Anglo-American Constitutional Theories have Shaped the Discourse on"the People"
"The two bodies of the people"is an important theoretical framework for understanding the changes in the discourse on"the people"in modern times.In modem constitutional theory,"the people"have two differ-ent"bodies/forms":the"political body"which constitutes"abstract people"and the"natural body"which con-stitutes"concrete people".This theory originated in Britain and the United States in modem times,and has re-volved around the two main lines of how to construct"abstract people"and how to deal with"concrete people".The ideation of"abstract people"has moved from organism to contractarianism in modem Britain,and has gained daily"presence"in the written constitution of the United States"Concrete people"(i.e.,the multitudes)have risen in the modem Anglo-American constitutional system,and have gained access to political participation through pluralistic representation,although their true democratic rights are still severely restricted.The modem Anglo-American theory of"the people"was born in the midst of the capitalist relations of production,and its in-herent theoretical dilemma has continued to this day.
"the two bodies of the people"abstract peopleconcrete peopleparliamentary sovereigntypopular sovereignty
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