Which political theorist is associated with The Commonwealth of Oceana and rotations in office?

• A. James Harrington
• B. Alexander Hamilton
• C. John Boucher
• D. Thomas Paine

Answer: (A)

This question tests recognition of the author who linked periodic renewal of political power to a carefully designed republic. The Commonwealth of Oceana is a famous work by James Harrington, written in the mid-1600s, in which he lays out a utopian constitution that relies on rotating offices and regular elections to prevent corruption and tyranny. The idea is that by continually renewing magistrates and limiting how long any one person can hold power, citizens maintain control over government and preserve liberty. Harrington ties this mechanism to a broader plan of a mixed regime with representation shaped by landholding and multiple legislative bodies, all designed to curb faction and entrenchment.

Alexander Hamilton, while central to later American constitutional thought, is associated with a strong central government and the U.S. system, not Oceana or rotations in office. Thomas Paine is known for revolutionary writings and rights-oriented arguments, not Harrington’s Oceana model. John Boucher is not the figure linked to this work.