Consent of the Governed

Definition

The principle that a government's legitimacy and political power is derived from the consent of the people or citizens. It suggests that the people have a right to alter or abolish a government that does not have their consent.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The concept of consent of the governed was a key principle of the Enlightenment and was a driving force behind the American Revolution.
2. The idea of consent of the governed is central to John Locke's social contract theory, which influenced the American Founders.
3. The Declaration of Independence famously states that governments derive their 'just powers from the consent of the governed' and that the people have a right to alter or abolish a government that does not have their consent.
4. The consent of the governed is a foundational principle of American democracy, as it establishes the people as the ultimate source of political authority.
5. The Great Awakening, with its emphasis on individual religious experience and the inherent equality of all people, helped lay the ideological groundwork for the concept of consent of the governed.

Review Questions

• Explain how the concept of consent of the governed was influenced by the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening.
  • The Enlightenment, with its emphasis on natural rights and social contract theory, provided the philosophical foundation for the idea that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the people. The Great Awakening, with its focus on individual religious experience and the inherent equality of all people, helped reinforce the notion that the people, not just the elite, should have a say in how they are governed. Together, these intellectual and religious movements laid the ideological groundwork for the American colonists to challenge the authority of the British Crown and assert their right to self-governance based on the consent of the governed.
• Analyze how the principle of consent of the governed is reflected in Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence.
  • In his influential pamphlet Common Sense, Thomas Paine argued that the American colonies had the right to establish their own government based on the consent of the governed, rather than being subject to the rule of the British monarchy. Paine's ideas directly challenged the divine right of kings and the notion of hereditary rule, asserting that the people should have the power to choose their own leaders and form a government that protects their natural rights. Similarly, the Declaration of Independence famously states that governments derive their 'just powers from the consent of the governed,' and that the people have the right to alter or abolish a government that does not have their consent. Both Paine's work and the Declaration of Independence firmly established the principle of consent of the governed as a core tenet of the American revolutionary movement and the new American republic.
• Evaluate the lasting impact of the principle of consent of the governed on the development of American democracy and the protection of individual rights.
  • The principle of consent of the governed has had a profound and lasting impact on the development of American democracy. By establishing the people as the ultimate source of political authority, the concept of consent of the governed has served as a powerful check on government power and has helped to enshrine the protection of individual rights as a fundamental aspect of the American political system. This principle has been used to justify the right of the people to alter or abolish a government that does not have their consent, as seen in the American Revolution and subsequent political movements. Moreover, the idea of consent of the governed has been instrumental in expanding the franchise and ensuring that marginalized groups have a voice in the political process. Overall, the principle of consent of the governed remains a cornerstone of American democracy, continuously shaping the evolution of the nation's institutions and safeguarding the liberties of its citizens.

Related terms

Natural Rights: Inalienable rights that all people are entitled to, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which governments are created to protect.

Social Contract: An agreement, either explicit or implicit, between the people and the government, where the people agree to be governed in exchange for the government protecting their natural rights.

Popular Sovereignty: The idea that the ultimate source of a government's authority is the will of the people, who are the sovereign.