DiscoverLegal SpiritsLegal Spirits 069: The Consent of the Governed
Legal Spirits 069: The Consent of the Governed

Legal Spirits 069: The Consent of the Governed

Update: 2025-08-05
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: National Archives</figcaption></figure>



In this episode of Legal Spirits, Center Director Mark Movsesian talks with legal scholar Steven D. Smith about a question that goes to the heart of American law and politics: What happens when people stop believing in “the consent of the governed”? Drawing on Smith’s new paper, The Collapse of Consent, they explore how this once-powerful idea has shifted over time—from a principle rooted in natural law and divine authority to a secular fiction that’s becoming harder to sustain. In an increasingly polarized society, can America’s founding narrative still hold us together? A deep and thought-provoking conversation about legitimacy, identity, and the future of our legal order.


The post Legal Spirits 069: The Consent of the Governed appeared first on LAW AND RELIGION FORUM.

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Legal Spirits 069: The Consent of the Governed

Legal Spirits 069: The Consent of the Governed

Legal Spirits