Preface

• Author: Gregory Tardi
• Pages: 13-16

xi

Preface

I have developed the study of political law and I write and teach

about it because I have lived my life at the intersection of two lines

of conf‌lict that have engendered several interests in me.

First, at a young age, in my country of birth, I experienced for-

eign and domestic oppression, revolution, and emigration. As a

result, in adulthood, I came to realize that the only path to justice

is through Democracy incorporating the rule of law and a regime

of genuine, enforceable, and living and evolving rights. (I explain

later the use of capitalization in the word Democracy.)

Second, and in parallel, an early interest in history, then in pol-

itics, and f‌inally in law, enabled me to focus my curiosity on the role

of the state, and especially on that of its leadership in providing,

maintaining, and fostering citizenship and justice through legality.

ese two strands of my life and of my life interests are indeed

inseparable. Justice for the people, for the citizenry, and for the elec-

torate requires statecraft that is f‌irmly grounded in Democracy. e

view raises two questions: What is Democracy? How does legality

help to ensure Democracy?

I consider the core of Democracy to be the rule of law. is

implies rule-base d government and governing, and the development

and the maintenance of a people’s civic and political rights, in the