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Preferred term

consent of the governed  

Definition

  • The consent of the governed traditionally refers to acts of consent that people have performed in regard to their government. During the late Middle Ages, consent was viewed as central to political legitimacy, while since roughly the seventeenth century, individuals' own consent has been believed to be the main reason they are morally required to obey government. [Source: The Encyclopedia of Political Science; Consent of the Governed]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/consent_of_the_governed

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