Legitimate Government Essay

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There are many different views on how a government should be properly run. In my opinion, a legitimate government is one that creates and enforces laws that are supported by its constituents. The people should have a say in who their leaders are and in the type of laws they want enforced through a system of voting. The government is considered legitimate if it is able to protect its people from invasions, and if it can meet the needs of citizens by settling disputes. A legitimate government is one that is agreed upon by entering a social contract by continuous participants in a given society. Citizens should be given liberty and autonomy, and they must uphold the rights of equality and individual freedoms. Also, a legitimate government is one …show more content…

Differing from Rousseau, Locke believes that when there is either an abuse of power or an impermissible change, the governing bodies that are in place fail to represent the people. They instead represent either themselves or some foreign power, and Locke believes that the people should rebel against their government and replace it with one that will remember its trust. While the people may have the ability to rebel when things go poorly, this is not the way the government should run. It should not have to get to the point where violence is needed to handle situations. While this may sound as though the people have an equal say in the government, the one branch overpowering the others does not give all parts equal abilities to give their input, and the rebellions could be easily avoided by implementing the system that Rousseau has suggested.
However, Hobbes believes that an absolute monarchy, a system in which one person holds absolute power, is the best form of government. Hobbes advocates for all members of a society to submit to one central authority in order to maintain a consistent order of peace.

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