In modern Western political thought, consent means an individual agreeing to or accepting the government or laws under which he or she lives and that the only legitimate state is such "government by the consent of the governed." This idea that the only just state is one the people have chosen (or popular sovereignty) rejects governments that are unpopular or forced on people (such as absolute monarchy, communist, and fascist). Democratic republics claim to be established by consent both in their constitutional formation (or social contract) and in periodic elections when the people choose their leaders by voting. Such political activities forming and maintaining the government are expressed consent, while living under the established state and elected rulers (and the laws they make) is tacit consent.

The idea of political consent emerges in the British liberal thinkers of the 17th century, especially Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. They saw the creation of the state out of a state of nature through a social contract involving common consent. Different thinkers view how this consent occurs, what is agreed to, and how much power the government receives by consent differently. For Hobbes's Leviathan, individuals surrender all their rights (to property, expression, belief, commerce) to the state in exchange for social peace, and they consent to obey the ruler in all things. For Locke's Second Treatise, individuals consent to give up to the government only their executive social function (to punish criminals), but they retain their rights to life, liberty, and property. The social contract in Locke's theory (and American government) is for the state to protect the natural rights of the individual, and each person only consents to obey only that much governmental authority.

As social relations become more complex, the terms of consent--what individuals agree to obey--become more complicated. But once the system is established by consent, a person living in the society must accept the laws (tacit consent) or be punished for lawbreaking. If someone is totally unwilling to agree to the consentual social system, they reserve the right to migrate to another country, where they can accept the terms of law and government.

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