Abstract
ABSTRACTEmpirical scholars describe a ‘virtuous circle’ (VC) wherein effective governance, empirical legitimacy, and citizens’ obedience are mutually reinforcing. This essay offers a normative perspective on the VC by bringing it into conversation with the literature on political resistance, which focuses on how citizens improve governance by resisting governmental authority. It is argued that the VC, and the concept of ‘limited statehood’ with which it is sometimes paired, obfuscate the potential for citizens’ political resistance (PR) to improve governance. Interpreting the VC in a way that emphasizes citizens’ political judgement, and situating the VC within a broader framework that includes PR, reduces this obfuscation and clarifies the VC’s contributions to democratic theory.
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