Which English philosopher argued that government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and that people have natural rights?

• A. John Locke
• B. Baron de Montesquieu
• C. Thomas Hobbes
• D. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is that governments derive legitimate authority from the consent of the people and exist to protect certain natural rights. John Locke argued that people are born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and that governments arise through a social contract to safeguard those rights. Because their authority comes from the people’s consent, if a government fails to protect these rights or oversteps its power, the people have the right to alter or replace it. This perspective helped shape liberal democracy and influenced constitutional thought in many English-speaking countries. Other thinkers offered different angles on governance—Montesquieu emphasized separating powers to prevent tyranny, Hobbes argued for a strong sovereign to avoid a chaotic state of nature, and Rousseau stressed the general will—yet Locke is the one who most clearly links consent and natural rights in the way described.