Governments should be changed when they become destructive to the rights and well-being of the people they govern. According to the Declaration of Independence, it is the right and duty of the people to alter or abolish a government if it pursues a long train of abuses and usurpations that aim to establish absolute tyranny and infringe on fundamental rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Such changes should not be for light or transient causes but in response to sustained and serious violations of rights and failures to protect citizens' interests.
More specifically, conditions that justify changing governments often include:
- Persistent abuse of power and tyranny.
- Failure to secure the safety and happiness of the populace.
- Repeated injuries and violations by the leadership.
- Loss of legitimacy and consent from the governed.
- Situations such as revolution, coup, state failure, or civil war may prompt regime change (which could be internal or foreign-imposed).
There can also be practical and structural reasons to change governments or governance systems, such as adapting to new social, economic, or global challenges, improving effectiveness in service delivery, governance reforms, or responding to fiscal pressures and rising public expectations.
In democratic contexts, government changes happen through elections or parliamentary processes when the current government no longer represents the people's will or fails in its duties. In other contexts, when governments do not respect democratic principles or segregate power unfairly, changes may be necessary to restore justice and order.
Therefore, governments should be changed under conditions of tyranny, sustained injustice, loss of legitimacy, failure to protect citizen rights, or in response to structural governance needs for improving the state and public services. These changes must be prudent and justified by significant grievances rather than light or temporary causes.