The topic of state theories pertains to one of the most important areas of civic education and thus to the stable liberal-democratic order as a whole. State theories exist in various forms, and therefore selection criteria and justifications are necessary. The state theories of the Enlightenment are rightly seen as a significant influencing factor of today's Western forms of democracy. Within the Enlightenment, there is a canon of contract and state theories: Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau have held a firm place in this canon for some time. There is a close and systematic connection between democracy and political education. Democracy simultaneously represents a way of life, a societal structure, and a form of governance. This is not least due to its fundamental and comprehensive significance for coexistence in our society.