The question of consent is a controversial one in any discussion of totalitarian or authoritarian regimes since it implies considered or informed approval, whether expressed or merely implied. Regimes used many tools to build a consent that had not been secured, or was not renewed, through open elections. Among these were the selective distribution of economic benefits and the provision of education, welfare and recreation. Other tools were sport, tourism and propaganda. Motifs and symbols drawn from foundational political events often provided the means whereby the state asserted its legitimacy.