Consent of the governed

The consent of the governed is the idea that government is legitimate only when it rests on the approval of the people who live under it. It stands against theories that rulers derive authority from divine right, conquest or inheritance.

The Declaration of Independence states that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed" and that when a government becomes destructive of rights, "it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it." The idea comes from social contract theory, especially John Locke. The Constitution begins "We the People" and is meant to rest on the approval of conventions elected by the people.

Consent can be understood in several ways: as active agreement, as in elections and ratification; as implied consent through residence and participation; or as hypothetical consent, what reasonable persons would agree to. Critics note that most people never explicitly consent, and that voting expresses only limited approval. The principle is often cited by conservatives against rule by unelected bureaucrats or courts, and by others to argue for the right to vote and to representation. It underlies popular sovereignty and the idea of natural rights.