Consent of the governed
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · Civics
Definition
Government's power comes from the people's agreement.
Consent of the governed in plain English
This is the core idea that a government is only allowed to rule because the people agree to let it. Power flows up from ordinary citizens, not down from a king who claims he was simply born to be in charge. It's a bit like a class electing its own leader: the leader has authority only because classmates chose to give it, and they can vote for someone else next time.
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