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Claude Soule
In this article Claude Soule has examined a late initiative in the reign of Louis XVI to remedy the perceived isolation of the Crown from its subjects. In 1776 Turgot had outlined a plan for a hierarchy of ‘municipalities’ to culminate in a ‘municipalité nationale’. This radical idea was one cause of his downfall. Then in 1778 Neckar won acceptance for creating provincial assemblies in the provinces that did not have them. These would break down the isolatoion and help circumvent the power of Intendants and Parlements to obstruct change. The assemblies would be nominated and have carefully defined powers, but would incorporate two features that became important in 1789: the double representation of the Third Estate and voting by head within the assembly. The cautious Neckar got authorisation for a trial assembly in the province of Berri, and in spite of its limitations it achieved some positive results. In 1788 it was decided to extend the scheme over the whole kingdom, but this decision was overtaken by events in the following year.
