Some citizens don’t just have political differences with the current government, but are fundamentally opposed to the democratic state and are willing to use violence against state and society. Such is the case with Germany’s far-left party where the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) could continue to observe Bodo Ramelow, leader of the Left Party in the eastern state of Thuringia. [1] Or where domestic intellegence agencies are necessary to monitor home grown terrorist organisations like the IRA. To protect itself, society and most importantly, the lives of other citizens, it’s necessary for a government to sometimes want to keep a close eye on some of their own citizens. A democratically elected government has both the authority and the legitimacy to order such surveillance, and can be held accountable for the way in which it uses its powers.  [1] Der Spiegel, ‘Is Germany's Left Party a Threat to Democracy?’ 22/7/2010