The development of the theory of sovereignty J.-J. Rousseau in the years of the French bourgeois revolution

The theory of popular sovereignty, J.-J. Rousseau was first intro­duced into political practice during the French Revolution. Rousseau was the ideologue of the revolution, and the principle of popular sovereignty was proclaimed by the French Constitutions. Objective: to identify the transformation of the main provisions of the theory of popular sovereignty J.-J. Rousseau's in political concepts of the French revolutionaries and revolutionary practice. Methods: the methodological framework of this study constitute a set of methods of scientific knowledge, among which the main place is occupied by the methods of historicism, systematic, comparative legal. Results: it was found that the theory of popular sovereignty was significantly altered during the French Revolution. Identified the differences in the understanding in the concept of the people. Characterized the theory of popular representation in terms of its compliance with the idea of direct democracy. Reviewed the development of ideas about the struc­ture of the government. Conclusion: the doctrine of the French Revolution took the theory of popular sovereignty, J.-J. Rousseau with significant limitations significantly transformed the concept of the nation and its general will. In political practice was in­troduced institute of national representation. The concept of popular sovereignty was supplemented by the principle of the inalienable rights of individuals and ideas about the need to introduce a system of additional mechanisms to protect the sovereignty of the people against the encroachments of power from its actual holders.