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SOURCES OF PUBLIC AUTHORITY AND POLITICAL POWER |
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LINK TO... SOURCES OF POWER |
Of course, France has a legitimate and stable government that citizens obey and depend upon to take care of the business of the country. However, contradictory historical traditions have led the French political system to be more subject to instability than are most other modern democracies. The early traditions of absolute monarchy and a strong centralized bureaucracy lead French citizens to expect rules dictated from Paris, and for the most part, they obey government laws and regulations. Yet there's another side to French authority - the tendency to revolt and protest when pushed too far - that has its roots in the French Revolution of the late 18th century. The conflict is not only reflected in various factions of society, but it also appears to emanate from deep within the personalities of individual French citizens. Contrast these traditions to the gradual, incremental development of authority and political power in England, and you can begin to understand something about the differences between the two political systems. 
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