Which principle connects Locke's social contract idea to the legitimacy of government?

• A. Divine Right
• B. Federalism
• C. Popular Sovereignty
• D. Consent of the governed

Answer: (D)

The central idea tested here is that government gets its legitimacy from the people who consent to be governed. In Locke’s social contract, individuals willingly agree to form a government to protect their natural rights—life, liberty, and property. When the government upholds that agreement and protects those rights, its authority is legitimate because it reflects the people’s consent. If the government betrays the contract or violates those rights, the people retain the right to alter or replace it. So the best-supported principle linking Locke’s idea to government legitimacy is consent of the governed—authority derives from the people’s agreement. Divine Right is about authority from God, federalism is about how power is divided, and popular sovereignty is a broader idea that power comes from the people, but the specific Locke connection is through consent.