"Consent of the governed" is a phrase synonymous with a political theory where in a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is only justified and legal when derived from the people or society over which that political power is exercised. This theory of "consent" is historically contrasted to the divine right of kings and has often been invoked against the legitimacy of colonialism. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government."
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Famous quotes containing the words consent and/or governed:
“Greatness, in order to gain recognition, must all too often consent to ape greatness.”
—Jean Rostand (1894–1977)
“The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all.”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)