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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Legitimate Government
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Adeodatus
Shipmate
# 4992
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.:
quote:
Originally posted by Adeodatus:
quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.:
Can you give an example of a society which you think meets that criterion?
Not off the top of my head. Or the middle of my head, or indeed the bottom of my head. Though, without my necessarily being able to name them, I do know that some countries at least teach philosophy and political thought in school. (Germany?)
A useful concept of legitimacy might require criteria that are kept to a less ethereal standard.
If you're going to ask for a politically educated electorate, you might as well wish for a pony too.
Or you could say that legitimacy isn't a you've-got-it-or-you-haven't binary thing, rather that the more educated the electorate, the more legitimate the government.
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"What is broken, repair with gold."
Posts: 9779 | From: Manchester | Registered: Sep 2003
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Russ
Old salt
# 120
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Timothy the Obscure:
Fundamental Postulate: Political sovereignty resides in the people as a collective whole.
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equality of participation in political processes, must be guaranteed to all citizens (e.g., universal adult suffrage).
To the extent a government meets these criteria, it is legitimate.
I think you're interpreting "consent" too narrowly. A country with a tradition of functional hereditary monarchy (possibly the form of government that most people on this planet have lived under for most of recorded history ?) could be said to be legitimately governed by its king.
Revolution may be justifiable against a king who denies the people their traditional rights and liberties. Or are you saying that market research showing 51% in favour of abdication is sufficient ?
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Wish everyone well; the enemy is not people, the enemy is wrong ideas
Posts: 3169 | From: rural Ireland | Registered: May 2001
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