The social contract is a concept associated with Enlightenment thinkers that asserts government legitimacy rests on what?

• A. Consent of the governed
• B. Divine right
• C. Mere force
• D. Economic manipulation

Answer: (A)

The social contract centers on the idea that a government's legitimacy comes from the people agreeing to be governed. Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke argued that individuals form a political community to protect natural rights, exchanging some freedom for the protections and order that laws provide. When a government continues to protect those rights and has the people’s ongoing consent, its authority is legitimate. If it fails to protect rights or acts against the terms of the agreement, its claim to rule weakens because it no longer has the people’s consent. This emphasis on consent distinguishes it from divine right, force, or manipulation, which rely on authority or coercion rather than voluntary agreement.