The Pro's and Con's of a Absolutism Government

An absolute monarch is a form of government where one ruler has supreme authority and is not restricted by any legislation. This form of government has both strengths and weakness, which is depends on the leader’s effectiveness. For example the ability for a king to draw acts and laws could be used for good or bad. You see this used for good in historical figures such as Henry of Navarre. His position allowed him to spontaneously draft new legislation, such as the Edict of Nantes that created a new-found religious toleration. Henry of Navarre also showed an advantage of absolutism from his ability to pass direct laws that drastically recovered Frances dire economy. A similar incident happened in France, when King Louis the 14th restored Frances economy while using mercantilism which also lead to better infrastructure, navy, and a modernized police force.

On the other hand absolute monarch are prone to corruption. Even Louis the 14th was disliked he used his power and resources to build lavish structures such as the Palace of Versailles which increased taxes for the middle class. Another hardship of absolute governments is the kings, sole ability to declare war. One incident where this ability backfired was when Louis the 14th declared the War of Devolution, which devastated France’s economy. On the topic Louis the 14th he also had sole authority of the judicial branch. Which only decreased his popularity because could execute innocent people. All these example prove that the idea of an absolute government isn’t bad but this tyrannical government often leads to corruption.