The Whig theory, put into place after the Glorious Revolution, put a premium on the idea of civic virtue, placing the public good above personal interest. To promote such virtue, one needed a society in which property ownership was widespread. An agricultural nation, where farming was thought to encourage honesty, frugality, and independence, was less likely to become corrupt than a society dependent on commerce and manufacturing. In an agrarian society, politics would be less fractious because everyone's interest would be similar. In such a society representatives would be less fractious because everyone's interest would be similar. In such a society representatives would be equally affected by whatever laws they passed. This would prevent them from tyrannizing over the people by passing oppressive laws. <span>The Whig view of politics was not democratic. It assumed that only men who owned property had a sufficient permanent stake in society to be trusted to vote.</span>
