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  • Essay / The right of government to rule and the duty of obedience of citizens in a democracy

    This assignment will highlight the complex nature of this issue and include a Christian view on this subject and ask crucial questions on the question of whether democracy is necessary for government or not. to be legitimate and if this democracy legitimizes the actions of the government, how does the government manage to enjoy the right to govern while citizens have the duty to obey even if the government's policies go against ethical values ​​and morals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayTo reach a conclusion to this question, it is important to first understand what the word legitimate means and its implications in the context in which it is used, the definition of the word is found in the source c, the legitimacy is a noun and is the quality of being reasonable and acceptable/the state of being just or honest. Starting from this detention, we can begin to ask the question: is democracy necessary for a government to be legitimate? This question is relevant when we think about all the atrocities that have taken place in history while a "democratic government" was in power or when a democratic government was in power. government which had the essence of democracy. Take Hitler for example. Hitler came to power in a democracy with a very liberal constitution, and in part by using democratic freedoms to undermine and then destroy democracy itself. But did that make his government and the actions he took legitimate, no, something like mass genocide cannot be considered legitimate no matter how you try to justify it. This is a prime example of how democracy does not legitimize a government. Which now brings us to the question posed in Source A: what makes a government legitimate? Most people think that democracy is the product of the will of the people who voted, which constitutes the consent of the majority. Source A also states that According to The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2016 Democracy Index, only 19 countries, out of 167 surveyed, can be considered fully democratic. It is also important to remember that Adolf Hitler and other despots achieved electoral majorities. But remember that the question is not fundamentally about the authority of a government, as Source A says: "Despotic governments exercise authority without being legitimate." But we can get closer to an answer by looking at the philosopher John Locke, who said that no government is legitimate unless it is carried out with the consent of the governed, and that this consent cannot be obtained than by majority rule. Therefore, if a government violates fundamental rights, Locke was particularly concerned with the right to property, with the people having the right to override the government. Less than a century later, Locke's views were reiterated in the United States Declaration of Independence. So we have a partial answer: a government can be considered legitimate when every decision is made with the consent of the governed. Another thing to consider is that the utilitarian concept of "beneficial consequences" is another philosophy used to legitimize a government. ; in this case, on the basis of utility. From the perspective of “beneficial consequences”, the legitimacy of a government depends on its ability to promote the happiness of citizens, which is also found in source A. An exampleof such a theory would be where the undemocratic regime of Chilean general Augusto Pinochet is established. often cited as an example of the “beneficial consequences” argument. Pinochet seized power in a coup that overthrew the democratically elected socialist government of Salvador Allende. Pinochet's military government implemented economic liberalization policies that produced what has been described as the "Miracle of Chile" where the country was, for most of the 1990s, the best performing economy in 'Latin America. Legitimacy is essential to justify governments' use of their cohesive power. Since the role of government is to create and maintain law that respects society, government is only legitimate when it protects our individual rights. Another important aspect is the position we should take as Christians on this issue which is addressed in Source D “Over the centuries the Israelites made known their desire to have a king over them so that they could be like the nations around them (1 Samuel 8). . God's answer was clear. It was not his desire, nor the good of a people, to have human government over them. In 2 Chronicles 6:5, God reaffirms that He has not chosen any man to lead His people. The Judeo-Christian scriptures nowhere teach that the voice of the people is the voice of God. He teaches that when people make requests of God that are not in harmony with His will, He can grant them their sorrow and send “leanness into their souls” (page 501). The events of history to date would certainly confirm that the governments of men are not a blessing but rather a curse and ultimately bring "leanness" into the soul of a people. God warned the Israelites how their chosen government would treat them. This would involve them in wars. He would enlist their sons and daughters to fight and die in his wars. He would designate them to make his own instruments of war. He would take their assets – private property – and give them to his political favorites. It would take away their freedom and enslave them,” it highlights important questions for us as Christians, such as whether governments can even be considered legitimate by us Christians because they go against the will of God. The only person we should let rule over us is God. But the fact remains that government remains as it is needed at the present time, so what makes government legitimate and what are the reasons why government is necessary. When we once again talk about the legitimacy of government, it is important to ask why do good people obey bad laws? As asked in source B why are we trying to legitimize a government where many laws are responsible for massive economic inequality and the answer can be found in source B which is the principle of hierarchy which is basically fear of government who has the power if you like their ability to imprison you if you don't respect them. However, in most countries in the world today, governments claim legitimacy on the grounds that they were elected in fair elections, but again one could argue that the same was true for Hitler, but this does not make his government legitimate. maintains a right to respect from society, the government is only legitimate when it protects our individual rights. As we move forward, the whole thing becomes more complex but a conclusion to the question is offered later in source B under the heading.