People and government are not separate from one another; government is made up of people from the society it serves. We should not be misled into thinking of it as a distant or entirely different entity. Tomorrow, you may become a public servant, your child or relative may qualify for a government position, or someone you know may contest an election and become a lawmaker. Even among the people you pass on the street today, some may already work within public institutions or contribute to government in ways that are not immediately visible.
This connection does not mean that citizens should stop questioning those in power. On the contrary, it means that responsibility belongs to all of us. Governments must remain transparent, accountable, and responsive, while citizens must stay informed, participate constructively, respect public institutions, and demand better when those institutions fail.
Criticising poor decisions is necessary, but treating every person in government as if they belong to a separate class only deepens mistrust and division.
People should therefore stop seeing themselves as entirely separate from government. In a democracy, government is not simply “them”; it is also “us”- our neighbours, families, communities, and sometimes ourselves. The quality of government ultimately reflects both the conduct of those who hold office and the standards, participation, and vigilance of the society from which they come.
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