https://thefederalist.com/2013/12/10/what-the-founders-meant-by-self-governance/
Self-government is, at root, a culture of public responsibility among a citizenry; that is, a widely accepted norm that citizens can and should take a role in public decision-making. People must believe that they have the right, duty, and ability to govern themselves. If they stop believing these things, self-government is effectively dead even if the rituals are still observed.
By Paul David Miller DECEMBER 10, 2013