ABSTRACT
Abstractasthisprocessseemsinitscategoricalformulation, itformedthecentralthreadintheconcretepoliticalpracticeof theage.Not,ofcourse,thatmenwereinterestedonlyinthe acquisitionofconstitutionalrightstoindividualpersonaland civillibertyandtoparticipationinthesovereignauthority.Not onlydidauthoritativemonarchiessurvivethroughtheperiod, withtheactivesupportofrejuvenatedaristocraciesandthepassivesupportofthemajority,butsocialistandcommunistmovementstooktheirrisewiththeirclaimstoasocialreorganization thattranscendedbothcivilandpoliticalrights.Butifconstitutionalclaimswerenotexclusive,theywereauthoritative.Inpart, thisprimarystatuscorrespondedtothequantitativebulkof politicalliberalsandtheirmiddle-classbackersinthepublicconflictsoftheera,butmoreimportantwasthequalitativefunction ofthisnumericalweightinestablishingtheconstitutionalmold whichshapedinitsownimagethediverseclaimsoftherespectivegroupings.
