Rousseau held that bounded wealth inequality is required for democratic law

Evidence

In making this point, Rousseau says, “In truth, laws are always useful to those with possessions and harmful to those who have nothing; from which it follows that the social state is advantageous to men only when all possess something and none has too much.” Rousseau does not intend “that degrees of power and wealth should be absolutely the same for all.” However, “where wealth is concerned … no citizen shall be rich enough to buy another and none so poor as to be forced to sell himself.” — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 654

Categorization

• XREF: Rousseau’s requirement that no one be rich enough to buy another is a direct ancestor of the corruption concern in Citizens United. — connects to: Rousseau’s inequality meant feudal rank distinction, not economic disparity; Democratic existence needs wealth limits, public-good citizenship, and discerning citizens — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 365; Extreme wealth inequality makes common legislation impossible in a democracy — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 363

Broader Connections

• Democratic existence needs wealth limits, public-good citizenship, and discerning citizens #corroborates (0.85) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 365
• Rousseau’s inequality meant feudal rank distinction, not economic disparity #contradicts (0.80)
• Extreme wealth inequality makes common legislation impossible in a democracy #qualifies (0.80) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 363