According to the Declaration of Independence, governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.
According to the Declaration of Independence, governments get their just power from the consent of the governed. This means that the power held by the government is derived from the people it governs. The Declaration states that governments are instituted among men to secure certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When a government fails to protect these rights or becomes destructive to them, the Declaration maintains that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and institute a new government that better serves their interests.
