This study examines the use of normative language in Roman North Africa from the first to the fourth centuries AD. From emperors down to provincial magistrates, powerful individuals throughout the... Show moreThis study examines the use of normative language in Roman North Africa from the first to the fourth centuries AD. From emperors down to provincial magistrates, powerful individuals throughout the Roman Empire employed the language of honour and virtue to legitimate their influential position over others. This thesis delves deeper into the intertwining layers of power and legitimacy, as well as their linguistic expression in the epigraphic culture of Africa Proconsularis and Mauretania Caesariensis. References to imperial virtue in North African epigraphy are traced over four centuries and contrasted with the virtues prevalent in imperial media. The normative language employed to honour imperial officials, local magistrates and African benefactors is examined and contextualised. Finally, the findings from the civilian sphere are compared to military dedications from the African provinces. The thesis concludes by pointing to a number of overarching themes at play throughout the varied material, calling attention to the active role of provincial dedicators in expressing and influencing normative beliefs on legitimate power. Show less
Parliaments in democratic systems serve as the people’s representatives, legislators and overseers of the executive. They have the power to define the framework in which the executive can act and... Show moreParliaments in democratic systems serve as the people’s representatives, legislators and overseers of the executive. They have the power to define the framework in which the executive can act and must report about its action. For parliaments to fulfil their roles, though, they depend on access to information. Executive secrecy is an obvious impediment. How, then, do parliamentary actors try to reconcile secrecy and the normative demands of an open, democratic society? The study investigates their arguments, conflicts and patterns of agreement around this topic for the case of Germany. Using the example of two case studies – intelligence agencies and Public-Private Partnerships, the empirical analysis shows that substantive rationales are the main reference point for actors’ acceptance of executive secrecy. In their view, secrecy may be legitimate where it serves a specific goal. Information should be kept secret if its disclosure would obstruct achieving that goal. However, references to instrumentality are highly contentious in political practice. Procedural legitimation has the potential to fill the gap left by the contestation of substantive legitimation: legislation sets framework conditions ex-ante, and usually in a more generalized way, while parliamentary scrutiny works ex-post and deals with concrete issues, cases and conflicts. Show less
