Comparative analysis of the French, British, and American revolutions and their role in shaping contemporary democratic ideas and institutions

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Comparative analysis of the French, British, and American revolutions and their role in shaping contemporary democratic ideas and institutions

Oleg Opanasenko

Received 24.06.2025, Revised 06.11.2025, Accepted 15.12.2025

https://doi.org/10.67524/verus1/1.2025.42

Retrieved from Vol. 1, No. 1, 2025

Pages 42-55

Abstract

A comparative analysis of the French, American, and British revolutions is relevant for understanding the origins and evolution of contemporary democratic ideas and institutions. The purpose of the study was to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of these revolutions to identify their common and distinctive features, and to determine their role in the development of democratic principles. The study used a set of methods, in particular, comparative historical, institutional, comparative typological and historical genetic, which helped to carry out a comprehensive comparative analysis of revolutions and determine their role in the development of democratic ideas and institutions. The results of the study showed that despite significant differences in socio-economic and political conditions, the French, American, and British revolutions were based on a common ideological foundation – the ideas of the Enlightenment and the concept of natural law. These revolutionary events played a key role in establishing the fundamental principles of freedom, equality, and popular sovereignty, which later became the cornerstones of the contemporary democratic paradigm. Revolutions made a significant contribution to the establishment of liberal democratic values, contributed to the development and institutionalisation of representative democracy, parliamentarism, and laid solid foundations for the consolidation of the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of law. Comparative analysis revealed that each of the three revolutions offered its own unique model of political structure, due to specific national traditions and historical circumstances. These models later became prototypes and a source of inspiration for the development of contemporary democratic systems in different countries of the world, their adaptation and synthesis in accordance with local socio-cultural contexts. The results of the study are of theoretical importance for deepening understanding of the historical origins and evolution of democratic ideas and institutions, and practical value for improving strategies for democratic development, political reform, and optimisation of training courses in political science, history, theory of state, and law

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Suggested citation
Opanasenko, O. (2025). Comparative analysis of the French, British, and American revolutions and their role in shaping contemporary democratic ideas and institutions. Journal of Global Political Transformations, 1(1), 42-55. https://doi.org/10.67524/verus1/1.2025.42