Declaration of Interdependence

Abstract

We hold these truths to be self-evident that government derives its powers from the people. See here a version of the famous words of the US Declaration of Independence, agreed by a Continental Congress that assembled delegates from across the American colonies. Today, the complexities of selecting delegates would have received a lot of attention. Called upon to articulate and defend the interests of their constituencies, cross-border and overarching issues may end up getting short shrift. Voters and their concerns come first. However, to safeguard, as the Declaration of Independence has it, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the moment may have arrived for a ‘Declaration of Interdependence’, with implications for what I call the production of democratic legitimacy. Should elections continue privileging resident voters? ...