Besides defining what the basic role of government should be, the declaration gives citizens the ability to hold government liable for its actions. Article 6 gives all citizens the right to participate in the lawmaking process, either directly or through their representatives. Citizens are also given the right to keep public officials held accountable for the actions of their administration as stated in Article 15. Much of the declaration's principles express the importance that must be shown towards maintaining the rights of individuals.
The value of the declaration during the time it was written is that it was meant to challenge the then existing political system in France. Prior to the revolution, the principle employed to maintain the rule of aristocracy was the one stating that governing was the divine right of kings.
This form of government ensured that members of the aristocracy maintained their status and wealth in society through the privilege of birth. This caused much resentment and anguish for the rest of French society. Having witnessed the successful uprising of the American colonies against the British monarchy, France's non-aristocratic members realized it was possible to do away with absolute rule. This led to the development of events that led to the French revolution, of which this declaration played a major part.
The king's right to total authority was undermined through the declaration. In particular, Article 3 in the declaration states that sovereignty belongs to the nation; no group or individual can govern the society without consent from the nation. It was meant to...
Even though it shared many similarities to the American Declaration of Independence, it also had its unique features. One of those features was that it emphasized that these rights did not just apply to French citizens, but to all people. As Article 1 of the declaration states, men are all born free and equal. Many of the principles listed in the declaration are derived from the ideals expressed during the period of Enlightenment, such as those pertaining to individualism, the social contract, and the separation of powers in government. In the post-revolutionary world, when France became a republic, the declaration continued to be an important influence on French politics. It still plays a major role in the French policymaking process today, because its principles are examples of the basic constitutional values that people aspire to uphold.
Bibliography
Declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen, National Public Telecomputing Network,
Online], Available at http://www.constitution.org/fr/fr_drm.htm
Declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen, (2005, 26 Feb), Wikipedia Encyclopedia,[Online], Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen
Marquis de Lafayette, (2005, 1, March), Wikipedia Encyclopedia, [Online], Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_de_la_Fayette
