Why are so many countries so poorly governed? In Misgovernment, Mark Lipse presents a compelling theory - that misgovernment is the almost inevitable legacy of lawmakers ignoring natural rights when setting up the legal, administrative and constitutional powers of governments. The result, especially in developing countries, is “predatory jurisdiction”, or government powers, which, while lawful, and generally viewed as normal and natural, actually have the potential to be massively unjust and destructive. In this cogently reasoned work, Lipse explains exactly how benchmarks can be established to identify such inappropriate government powers, and the standards of justice that should be applied in assessing them. An informed citizenry is an essential element in the struggle against misgovernment, injustice and poverty. Misgovernment provides a new set of ideas about governance to further the practical application of the underlying principle - that classical natural rights do provide a solid platform for truly benign yet effective social activism.