when he wrote that "In free governments, the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns".

Origins

Defensor pacis by Marsilius of Padua provoked a storm of controversy when it appeared in 1324 by advocating a form of republicanism that views the people as the only legitimate source of political authority. Sovereignty lies with the people, and the people should elect, correct, and, if necessary, depose its political leaders.

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