This volume collects four essays--"Economy as Applied to Office," "Identification of Interests," "Supreme Operative," and "Constitutional Code Rationale"--dating from the spring and summer of 1822. Based exclusively on manuscripts, many of which have never been published, the essays represent an important application of utilitarian principles to the structure and organization of government and are a major contribution to the theory of representative democracy.

Editorial introduction; PART I: Economy as applied to office; PART II: Identification of interests; PART III: Supreme operative; PART IV: Constitutional code rationale