Can Lockean Thought Secure The Consent of the Governed?
Court L. Farrell According to John Locke, there are two ways in which a citizen (or someone wishing for citizenship) can consent to their government once they leave the state of nature. These two ways, “express” and “tacit” are both intriguing concepts spurned on by Lockean thought. This paper hopes to provide an adequate definition for these two concepts and then follow the aforementioned principles by analyzing each one briefly. The concept of expressed consent is very simple to understand. This can be achieved through a formal declaration of loyalty to the country. This, of course, forever binds that individual to the country they declare for the entire existence of either their natural life or that of the country (whichever may disintegrate first). Of course, when comparing this to the United States, this type of consent is currently only found in the naturalization process of immigrants. They must swear allegiance to the country before becoming a formal citizen, but it is imperati
