ht for their “motherland” because the State has become a kind of family or parent. They fight to preserve the attachment, and thus fight on emotion. The rulers of Plato’s State, the philosopher kings and queens, exercise their authority with the greatest understanding of the forms, and thus of ultimate truth, that is humanly possible. Machiavelli’s view of government is rooted far deeper in reality, however, and implies that stability is the key to an enduring system of rule. As long as the populace does not feel threatened (in terms of losing land, possessions, a well-known way of life, or even their lives), they will be willing to submit to their ruler. When people are allowed to go on with their lives without the worry of a new regime seizing power or trampling their rights and stealing their possessions, they can live in a state of contentment, and even happiness. As for the populace’s role in government, anyone can have an impact on the game of power if they know what to do and have the support to do it. Power is not restricted to one type of people or one class, but is “up for grabs” and waiting for the boldest to seize it. For Machiavelli, the people are more than just a mass to be divided and placed in a proper order, but a powerful force that must be considered and respected by the one who would rule over them. But for both Plato and Machiavelli, government seems to be a necessary and natural state under which humankind can operate and survive....
