The central tenet of this concept of the public sphere is that political action is directed by
the public sphere and that the only lawful governments are those that listen to the public
sphere. Democratic governance is based on the capability of citizens to engage in
open-minded debate, as well as the opportunity for them to do so. However, Calhoun
(2010) argues that the public sphere is, by definition, always somewhat influenced by other
interests arising in the private sphere and the sphere of public authority. The public sphere
is not totally free from other, external influences.