[Swizec]

Fun historical fact: In medieval Karantania[1] the "king" was appointed and crowned by the people. He still inherited his title and whatnot, but had to be approved by his people and a free peasant performed the coronation.

So, not a democracy, but right to govern still derives from the people. It has been done.

From wikipedia:

> The ritual was performed in the Slovene language by a free peasant who, selected by his peers, in the name of the people of the land questioned the new Prince about his integrity and reminded him of his duties. Later, when the Duchy of Carinthia had fallen to the Habsburgs, the idea that it was actually the people from whom the Duke of Carinthia received his legitimation was the basis of the Habsburgs' claim to the unique title of Archduke.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karantania

[jacquesm]

Beats the crap out of 'ordained by the heavens'. What never ceases to amaze me is that good solutions to lots of things have been found over time and were lost again.