The writers of the Declaration of Independence wrote that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” [lines 14 - 16]. What does this mean in terms of how governments get power?



Answer :

Answer Below

Explanation:

The phrase “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” tells you about the source of power of governments. On this principle, government power is not generated within itself or in default of the people, but flows from the concurrent consensus of the citizens. This suggests that for a given government, its power stems from the consent of the governed folks and has legitimacy only to the extent of its representation of the people of the given nation. This supports the concept of democracy and the belief that power and authority in a government should be answerable to the citizens which was the transition to America and the Declaration.