In such confrontations there are many determining factors, the
experience and wisdom of the leadership; the urgency of the subject
under discussion; the depth of the separation between opposing factions;
the experience of the citizenry and their willingness to compromise on
divisive issues; the willingness of the factionalists to abide by a
majority decision.
Experienced leadership, which has enjoyed a period of public approval
long enough to build up not only a group of devoted followers, but a
group of place-men and office-holders who owe their positions to the
leader, can assemble a bureaucratic or political machine, adopt measures
and take the steps necessary to keep its chosen leader in a life job,
with the possibility of naming a successor.
Republics have adopted various measures to prevent the establishment of
a self-perpetuating dynasty, by limiting public office-holding to a
stated number of years; by providing that the office holder may not
succeed himself. Political leaders may avoid such provisions by staying
in the background, having their closest associates elected to office,
and when their term is ended, secure the selection of other associates
upon whose personal fidelity they can rely.
All such measures require that the leader keep the favor of a
considerable number of his constituents. To avoid this often difficult
or disagreeable task the leader and his close associates may persuade
their constituency to by-pass both constitution and parliament, enlist
the support of the military, seize power and establish an arbitrary
dictatorship of admirals and generals or establish a committee of
military leaders who will pick out civilian office holders willing to
follow the political line laid down by the military leaders.
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