Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Commission
(853 words)

1. Definition and function

In the general theory of the state (State, general theory of) in the early modern period, the commision was first described by Jean Bodin as an institution sharply distinguished from the traditional office (French office): an office is created by a law (édit) and is inviolable for the term provided; a commission, by contrast, has extraordinary character: it is appointed directly by the sovereign without a basis in law and can be removed at any time.

The…

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Babel, Rainer, “Commission”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_022437>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170206



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