The Consent of the Governed

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Keith Lockitch take a step back from controversies about the current election season to discuss the most fundamental aspects of America’s political system.

Among the topics covered:

The original meaning of “democracy,” and why America is not a democracy in this sense;
What “the consent of the governed” means, and why it does not mean unlimited majority rule;
The basic principle that justifies a legitimate government, according to Ayn Rand;
The proper role of voting and representation in a free society.

Mentioned in the discussion are Ayn Rand’s essays “The Nature of Government,” “Representation Without Authorization,” and “The Season of Platitudes”; the book Foundations of a Free Society, edited by Gregory Salmieri and Robert Mayhew, and the book A New Textbook of Americanism, edited by Jonathan Hoenig (particularly the essay “On the Role of Voting in the American System of Government”).

This podcast was recorded on November 3, 2020. Watch or listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here.