The ‘Consent of the Governed’ Myth
Politicians like to use the phrase “consent of the governed” to explain the policies that regulate our lives.
Jim Cardoza | April 1, 2026
Politicians like to use the phrase “consent of the governed” to explain the policies that regulate our lives. They do not merely suggest passive acquiescence to actions of government but an active, informed agreement between the people and the policymakers. Yet, the phrase has obviously become detached from observable reality. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the state of California.
To say that California’s government operates with the “consent of the people” requires us to believe that millions of workers, families, and small business owners have knowingly and enthusiastically chosen a set of policies that, taken together, impose some of the highest costs of living in the United States while simultaneously eroding long-standing norms of accountability, public safety, and parental authority.
First, consider taxation. California consistently ranks among the highest-taxed states in the nation, with steep income taxes, sales taxes, and a growing array of regulatory costs that function as taxes by another name. These regulations are not abstract burdens borne by some distant class of the wealthy; they are embedded in the price of housing, utilities, food, and fuel. For government at this scale to be considered consensual, one would have to imagine that Californians were clamoring to surrender a greater share of their income than residents of nearly every other state.
The same can be said of energy policy. California’s gasoline prices are routinely among the highest in the country, driven not only by global markets but also by state-specific taxes, regulations, and fuel formulations. Moreover, policymakers press forward with plans to phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles in favor of electric alternatives, even though the market clearly demonstrates most folks don’t want these cars. To explain this as an expression of popular demand is absurd. After all, if people wanted electric vehicles, they would simply buy them rather than insisting on banning the more desirable alternative.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/04/the_consent_of_the_governed_myth.html
