Political philosophy, or
political theory, is the study of topics such as
politics,
liberty,
justice,
property,
rights,
law, and the enforcement of a
legal code by
authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what, if anything, makes a
government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown, if ever.