Justice and foreign rule : on international transitional administration Can foreign rule ever be morally justified At first glance the answer to this question seems clear: in Abraham Lincolns famous words foreign rule is neither a government of the people nor a government by the people. But can it nonetheless be a government for the people Ever since the end of the First World War international transitional administrations have replaced dysfunctional state governments to create the conditions for lasting peace and democracy. Recent examples of this practice are Bosnia Kosovo East Timor and Iraq. The question of whether foreign rule can be morally justified thus remains a question of pressing practical concern. In response to extreme state failure the author argues international transitional administration as a particular form of foreign rule is not only morally justified but indeed a requirement of justice