In 1687, it must have seemed like James II’s road to autocracy was clear. Monmouth was dead, the long-desired standing army was in place, and Parliament was reasonably cooperative. In a year, however, it had all disappeared; it turned out James’ base of support was a mile wide and an inch deep. How did it all go wrong?
Overreach and incompetence are the wannabe autocrat’s worst enemies, and the liberal’s best friends. Any government that ignores the limits of its mandate, drives out experts, and only listens to the gut of a single eminently fallible man is bound to fail. Really, can anyone name a reactionary autocrat who didn’t bring disaster to his people?