Source: EconLog
by Pierre Lemieux
“The rule of law is a ‘government of laws’ instead of a ‘government by men,’ as the standard formula says. The so-called ‘sovereign people’ itself is only a group of men. Hayek believed that, in the long run, as opposed to political mobs, these general rules or laws necessarily come from the opinion of ‘the people’ — which introduces some indeterminacy in the distinction between the rule of law and popular sovereignty. But like all classical liberals, Hayek was still adamant that the people must not be considered sovereign, that is, it may not hold supreme or unlimited power.” (11/08/24)