Consent of the Governed.

In a world of constant wars and chaos the people of a particular nation will always find it necessary to band together for their mutual protection and well being in order to secure for themselves a number of needs, the need to protection for foreign enemies, the need to live in a relatively safe and peaceful environment, and the need to live free and happy lives as they see fit. For these reasons and many others all peoples of all nations will find themselves under the authority of some sort of governing power. When a people are in need of a governing body they will institute one for themselves in order to create a more perfect society for themselves.

But very often a powerful leader can usurp the natural process of a people’s establishment of a government and impose their own rule upon the masses. Dictators and others of their ilk fall into this classification. Their rule is one not formed from the common consent of the governed, but one created and held together through personal strength and power of will, using fear and persuasion to solidify their control of the populace.

The preferred method of government for the general population of a nation will always be to create one which holds and maintains its power only and without question from the consent of those they govern. No other kind of government is to the best interest of a people and will always pursue its own self interest at the expense of those below them. A dictator will not care about the will of the people, or the common interest of those who they govern; no, the goal of a dictator who rules through intimidation is merely to remain in power and force their will upon those beneath them. What does a dictator care if his people live in poverty as long as he remains in power? What does he care if his people nation dies around him as long as he himself lives in luxury? Any government which rules without the consent of those governed will pressure its own interest.

A government which rules at the consent of the governed means not that everything a government does is done at the agreement of the general population and that they may not act in a way which the people do not wish; what it means is that although they, the general population, may not agree with the decisions of the governing body, they acknowledge the right of that body to decide for them the direction in which their nation will go. The people of the USA may not agree with our presidents decisions, but we do agree that as the holder of that office he has certain rights and privileges and may act in that way without facing an armed revolution. As long as a people allow a governing body to rule over them and make decisions that body rules at the consent of the governed, regardless of personal opinions. This is why the judicial courts in this nation have the right to rule against he common will of the people in order to protect human rights. We the people instituted a government based on respect for human rights and we the people created a government with a set of rules and conceded to that government the power and the right to make decisions that would protect those rights. As such a decision passed down from the courts which are against the will of the general population and yet consistent with the rules which our founders set down is still a decision made at the consent of the governed. The only way to reverse such decision, like Brown VS the Board of Education or any other anti segregation law, would be to change the original rules on which this nation was founded.