Legitimidade para contestar

de Herbert Spencer, Social Statics [1851] — Reply to the Argument “If You Don’t Vote, You Can’t Complain”:

Perhaps it will be said that .. the citizen is understood to have assented to everything his representative may do, when he voted for him.

But suppose he did not vote for him; and on the contrary did all in his power to get elected some one holding opposite views – what then?

The reply will probably be that, by taking part in such an election, he tacitly agreed to abide by the decision of the majority.

And how if he did not vote at all?

Why then he cannot justly complain of any tax, seeing that he made no protest against its imposition.

So, curiously enough, it seems that he gave his consent in whatever way he acted – whether he said yes, whether he said no, or whether he remained neuter!

A rather awkward doctrine this.