How did interpretations of the idea that governments derive their power "from

the consent of the governed" change between the writing of the Declaration

of Independence and today?

Legitimacy is the consent of the people to the government, their voluntary recognition of their right to make binding decisions. The lower the level of legitimacy, the more often the power will rely on coercive force. A legitimate action is one that is not contested by any of the "players" who have the right and opportunity to challenge the action. Legitimate governments gain their power by agreement with the governed. In accordance with the Declaration of Independence, government gaining their fair power from the consent of the governed are established to ensure the inalienable (natural) rights of citizens.

However, it is also obvious that achieving complete legitimacy also fails anywhere. The range of legitimacy is very wide: from popular approval to the complete denial of the regime. Even in developed democracies, citizens note significant flaws in the political system. In this regard, modern authors distinguish two main concepts of legitimacy: normative and descriptive.

The normative concept of legitimacy arises on the basis of the ethical formulation of the question: "How should power be created and act in order to have a moral right to demand assistance from citizens?" The normative understanding is based on the conformity of the political order with the values of justice and the common good. On the contrary, the descriptive concept of legitimacy comes from the actual state of affairs: do citizens consider the political order justified and whether they act accordingly. According to S. Lipset, legitimacy is evident if the system has managed to create and maintain among the people the conviction that the existing political institutions are most in the interests of this society. That is what is observed in modern American society.