ABSTRACT
The previous chapters can be viewed as an exploration of some of the bases of political community, stability, and change. Wide and firm acceptance of rules that generate and define political obligations is one indication of a stable community. Roughly, the deeper and more widespread the commitment to such rules as there are, the more stable the community; the more rules to which there is commitment, the more inclusive and intensive the community. Thus one way to test the degree and stability of community would be to look for the sort of conduct we have called rule-governed. At the same time, the fact that “obligation” and “rule” are tied to “good reasons” can be viewed as one basis of the possibility of community change. When the rules change the character of the community changes. And the tie between rules and good reasons renders the community susceptible to change insofar as it consists of a structure or pattern of rules. When the members become convinced that the reasons for the rules are not good reasons, the way is prepared for changing them and thus changing the community. 1
