POS 105- Comparative Politics

1. Does it necessarily follow that to be a democracy is to be legitimate, and to be legitimate

is to be a democracy?
Regardless of the structure or identity of the government, I think it must uphold the rule of law
and the interests of the populace. However, democracy is not a prerequisite for legitimacy. Being
a legitimate government can be applied to other types of governments.

2. Where does sovereignty begin and end?

Sovereignty begins in the jurisdiction and territorial area to which the state is entitled to exercise
their supreme power to command and govern its citizens. While sovereignty ends beyond the
point of the state’s territory. Sovereignty simply means independency from external control of
other countries while maintaining the control of their own.

3. Is democracy – in practice – truly government by the people, or have other voices come
to be heard more loudly?
Democracy generally refers to a system in which the people have the ultimate power to rule; in
other words, as Abraham Lincoln once stated, the government is of, for, and by the people.
Nonetheless, since the case is entirely objective, it is undeniable that unfairness occurs. For
instance, the practice of political dynasties is evident in the practice of democracy and can be
used to deny citizens equitable access to the workforce. There are also situations in which higher
authorities are accorded greater prominence despite holding far less authority than common
folks.

4. Which is preferable: a stable dictatorship or the instability that often arises in poor and
deeply divided societies with no experience of democracy?
The word “dictatorship” could be scary to look at, however, for me, dictatorship is the best form of
government as long as there exists a good dictator.