Where Does the State’s Legitimacy Come From?

Guest post by Michael Suede.

I have a simple question for my dear readers. Where does the U.S. government’s legitimacy and power come from? Does it come from some pretty handwritten documents that date back to the 18th century? To quote the preamble to the Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

According to the Constitution, power originates from the people — individual citizens.
Read the full thing »