Elections of the Justices of the Peace

Calling the institution of the justice of the peace “a schoolhouse of modern citizenship,” Anthony Crubaugh argues that it abetted the process of the state’s penetration into the countryside and the modernization of rural France. ¹ After describing the institution of the justices of the peace, this chapter addresses the issues of electoral participation; the occupational composition of the justices of the peace; how many incumbents were re-elected; and the ascent of the justices to political power. Finally, electoral incidents are examined to test Gueniffey’s thesis concerning electoral fraud.