On Revolution

“Democracy” is a broad term describing any system of government in which state power is vested in the general population. The term was coined in ancient Greece to mean rule by the people (demos in Greek). Today the term encompasses a variety of political systems incorporating elements of direct and representative democracy, as well as protection of civil rights and liberties. In On Revolution, Arendt largely uses the term in the narrow sense of the ancient Greeks to mean majority rule, with negative connotations of “mob rule” or “elective despotism.”

“Federalism” is a political system in which power is shared between a central (federal) government and regional governments called states, provinces, cantons, and the like. The term derives from the Latin foedus, meaning “treaty, pact, or covenant,” and originally was equivalent to “confederation,” or a league of sovereign countries. Through its use in the new American republic, however, the term was strengthened to refer to a subdivided government within a single country. Among America’s Founding Fathers, “Federalists” such as John Adams and Alexander Hamilton were supporters of a strong central government, while “Anti-Federalists,” such as Thomas Jefferson, advocated for a weaker central government and stronger state governments—essentially the opposite of what the term connotes today.