“ In form at least, it was unambiguously democratic, for its unicameral legislature was to be chosen for a three-year term by universal male suffrage and its president for a four-year term by the same voters” (Wright, pg. 129). Also the president couldn’t be reelected to office for a second. The race for the Presidency took place on December 10, 1848. Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, Napoléon I's nephew, who had just recently returned from his English exile and had been considered as inconsequential by his rival candidates triumphantly, won the elections. Gordon Wright says, “Louis-Napoléon polled 5.5 million votes, compared with 1.5 million for Cavaignac, 370,00 for Ledru-Rollin, 37,000 for the radical Raspail, and an almost insulting 17,00 for Lamartine. On December 20, 1848, the newly chosen President took the oath to honor the Constitution in the National …show more content…
President Napoléon wanted a constitutional revision to permit a second presidential term. However, on July 20 1851, the proposal of revision of the constitution permitting the president to compete for a second presidential election was rejected. On early morning of December 2, 1851, the anniversary of Austerlitz and of the first Napoleon’s coup in 1804, Louis-Napoleon’s army arrested the prominent legislators and thus then the successful coup d'état of 1851 took place. The new constitution was announced on January 10, 1852, which guaranteed to protect the Republican institutions. However, it actually arranged the groundwork of the Second Empire. In the new constitution, the president had a ten-year term. He was also able to appoint the Ministers, propose the laws, and could even poll the general population's opinion by holding a plebiscite. A Legislative Corps, elected by universal enfranchisement, ought to vote the laws. A Senate, constituted of cardinals, naval commanders, and marshals, selected by the President, ought to check if the laws were in accordance with the constitution and could be amended by senatus-consultum and lastly a state gathering of 40-50 members selected by the President would elaborate on the laws. On December 2, 1852 a senatus-consultum established him from President to