[1] In this book, Schmitt provides a critique of parliamentary democracy – particularly as embodied in the form of the Weimar Republic – and calls into question one of its central political institutions, the Reichstag.

This work is representative of Schmitt's focus at the time of developing a critique of his contemporary society and the history of political ideas, particularly of democracy, liberalism, and dictatorship.

Schmitt argues that "What numerous parliaments in various European and non-European states have produced in the way of a political elite of hundreds of successive ministers justifies no great optimism.

So on the one hand, this is a 'practical-technical hypothesis', which can be shown to be true or false based on evidence of whether it actually guarantees the best selection of political leaders.

The convictions inherent in this and no other institution then appear antiquated; practical justifications for it will not be lacking, but it is only an empirical question whether men or organizations come forward who can prove themselves just as useful or even more so than these kings and through this simple fact brush aside monarchy.

In this early preface can therefore be found the foundations of the theory Schmitt later went on to more fully develop in his mature thought in The Concept of the Political in 1932.