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eventVerified

Du contrat social is printed, stating that sovereignty belongs to the people as a body

In April 1762 Du contrat social appeared. In the causal graph this event strengthens Democratic Resilience, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

In April 1762 Du contrat social appeared. Popular sovereignty and the general will as a public heading, not a king’s grace, are the improving path. The coercion clause is a different row.

Context

A people-as-sovereign book can support later constitutions and can bless emergency.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau is not the sole author of every later object, law, or museum label that uses the name. Shared work with courts, excavators, printers, spouses, officials, and later states does not erase a documented role, and it does not make an ancient person the signer of a twentieth-century statute.

Why it matters

A 1762 popular-sovereignty book is not a ballot box and not 1793.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.44 · verified

    Named author, patient of police, or heading of later reception. Printers, parlements, and later states share the instrument.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactDu contrat social is printed, stating that sovereignty belongs to the people as a body
    2. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Having a say in government
    Improving path

    impact weight 0.55 · Effect from 1 April 1762 · verified

    A 1762 popular-sovereignty book is not a ballot box and not 1793.

    • Having a say in government

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.39 (weight 0.55 × strength 0.7)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Clean elections index

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.25 (weight 0.55 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.53 score from 0 to 1 · 0.34 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.17 score from 0 to 1 to 0.53 score from 0 to 1.

      Above normal = better

    • WJP Rule of Law Index (global)

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.25 (weight 0.55 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.The Social Contract — Cole translation, public-domain EnglishProject Gutenberg · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Britannica — Jean-Jacques RousseauEncyclopaedia Britannica · High credibility · verified

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorJean-Jacques Rousseau
  2. contributed toFactDu contrat social is printed, stating that sovereignty belongs to the people as a body
  3. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Du contrat social is printed, stating that sovereignty belongs to the people as a body. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/jjr-contrat-social-1762

https://factrail.ai/facts/jjr-contrat-social-1762

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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