The rapid electrooptic response of ferroelectric liquid crystals-strat
ified (smectic) melts exhibiting spontaneous electric polarization-mak
es them candidates for the next generation of electrooptic shutters an
d liquid crystal displays. The model advanced here suggests that polar
ity is indigenous to tilted smectics and that spontaneous polarization
derives from the packing constraints mesogens experience, a tilt-depe
ndent correlation of molecular conformation with orientation. First-ra
nk orientational order parameters (C-xX) are nonzero with a tilt- (tem
perature-) dependent magnitude, and under certain packing conditions,
the sign of C-xX varies with tilt. These results have a direct bearing
on experimental observations because most ferroelectric liquid crysta
ls exhibit a tilt-dependent spontaneous polarization and some show an
inversion of the sign of the polarization.