Social Studies Praxis Practice Test

Which of the following works presents an argument that the legitimacy of a government is based on the consent of the governed?

1. A. Aristotle's Politics

2. B. V. I. Lenin's What Is to Be Done?

3. C. John Locke's The Second Treatise of Government

4. D. Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations

The correct answer is: C. John Locke's The Second Treatise of Government

The argument that the legitimacy of a government is based on the consent of the governed is a central tenet in John Locke's "The Second Treatise of Government." In this influential work, Locke outlines his views on political authority and the relationship between individuals and the state. He argues that a legitimate government must arise from the consent of its people, which contrasts with the idea of divine right or hereditary rule. Locke emphasizes that individuals possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and that governments are established to protect these rights. If a government fails to do so or acts against the will of the people, the governed have the right to withdraw their consent and overthrow it. This concept of government by consent became a foundational principle for modern democratic thought and greatly influenced political ideologies and revolutions, particularly in the context of the American and French Revolutions. In contrast, Aristotle’s "Politics" primarily focuses on various forms of government and their purposes rather than the consent of the governed as the basis of legitimacy. Lenin's "What Is to Be Done?" discusses the role of the party in revolution and governance, advocating for a vanguard party rather than the idea of government based solely on consent. Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations," while