…whenever the legislators [lawmakers] try to take away, and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are then no longer required to give their obedience. when legislators try take for themselves, or put into the hands of others, absolute power over the lives, liberties, and property of the people, by this breaking of trust they forfeit the power which the people had put into their hands… —john locke, two treatises of government, 1690 according to locke, what may happen when legislators reduce the rights of people? people may become beholden to the government. people may stop doing what the government says. people may give the government more power. people may decide to return to the state of nature.