What system of government has had the highest citizen approval rate?

Scandinavian social welfare.

The Oneida Community Communal Government, in it’s early days.
Probably the Rainbow Family
The FLDS
Probably many rural communities throughout the world. I was just reading about a group of Nomads in India called the Gadulia Lohar who claim to be happy with their system.

Cultures without the word government. They have survived for thousands of years and are self-sufficient. At least, until some “advanced civilization” comes along and destroys their habitat.

Authoritarian dicatorships with nationwide brainwashing and propaganda.
Like scientology. All of them obedient slaves to their masters.

Anything corrupt.
As long as the ones in power are the ones tabulating the approval ratings, the leaders always have ratings of 99% or more.

Just possibly Israel in the very early days of statehood when there was a common sense of purpose.

That’s easy. It must be Dynastic Communism as practiced in North Korea. They always have a 100% citizen approval rating plus the kudos of people like Sean Penn in this and other countries.

Any government that has total control of the press. It can publish whatever rating it wants to.

Lots of cute answers, but I think @dpworkin nailed it with the first one as far as a legitimate nation-state goes. And while the people may not always be happy, the Chinese government must have done a thing or two right, because the nation has held together and been relatively stable for 5 millennia.

Total facist dictatorship. They shoot anyone who says a bad word about the government.

@ETpro and @dpworkin I would have thought that too but I ws talking to a woman from Denmark a few months ago and she said the medical care there was terrible and that most people were very unhappy with it and with the standard of living and the amount they had to pay in taxes. That is obviously just one woman’s opinion but it made me wonder about our assumptions about Scandinavia.

You can always find some people, like your woman from Denmark, who are unhappy with where they live. On the other hand, every now and then there are happiness surveys that consistently show Denmark and other Scandinavian countries to be at or near the top in contentedness.

Here’s one from 2008

And 2006 (pdf)

That’s of course true, it was just surprising to me to hear something so contrary to report and she spoke of things that seemed to have some factual basis. However, I agree that one opinion does not counter a survey of many.

If anyone here ever finds “Utopia” let me know, my passport is in order, I’ll be on the next flight there!

Anybody notice that no one has mentioned the REPUBLIC we have in the US? I have to agree with @laureth. Scandinavian countries and their governments are the places that many people seem to admire.

@ETpro The statements in your quip are not verified in the historical accounts of the Government(s) of China.

@YARNLADY I admit I am being generous to the Chinese. They have had their share of different regimes and civil wars, but they have somehow muddled through since back when the great pyramid was built. I think you have to give them some credit for that. We certainly can’t boast anything close to it.

@ETpro It is indeed remarkable that the Chinese have survived through the ages, considering the number of blood thirsty, repressive governments they have suffered under.