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Who among the following said that Democracy means a system of‘Government by Consent’ ?
Explanation
The concept of 'Government by Consent' is fundamentally associated with John Locke, a 17th-century political philosopher. In his seminal work, 'Two Treatises of Government', Locke argued that legitimate political authority arises only from the consent of the governed. He posited that individuals in a state of nature agree to form a civil society and government to protect their natural rights, such as life, liberty, and property. According to Locke, any government that operates without the explicit or tacit consent of the people is illegitimate and lacks the moral right to exercise power [2]. This principle became a cornerstone of modern liberal democracy and constitutionalism, influencing major documents like the U.S. Declaration of Independence. While other thinkers like Rousseau and Mill discussed democratic participation, the specific formulation of democracy as a system of 'Government by Consent' is the hallmark of Lockean political theory.
Sources
- [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consent_of_the_governed