Obedience makes government, not the name by which it is called.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The legitimacy of government rests on the voluntary obedience of the People, not on titles or labels — invoke this to argue that a body calling itself "government" has no authority if the People have not consented to obey it, and that any institution demanding obedience must demonstrate its lawful basis for that claim.

Where this applies

• A government body changes its name but retains the same authority.
• Someone argues that a renamed agency lacks the authority of its predecessor.