Final answer:
Locke contended that government lacks the right to govern without the people's consent, and that the people have the right to overthrow a government that infringes upon their natural rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Locke argued that without the approval of the people, government has no right to govern or exercise its power. Locke's philosophy posits that legitimate government authority is derived from the consent of the governed, forming a social contract wherein people surrender some freedoms in exchange for the protection of their natural rights, which include life, liberty, and property. If a government fails to protect these rights or becomes tyrannical, the people have the right of revolution to overthrow and replace the government.
These principles were influential in the founding of the United States, embodied in the Declaration of Independence and later in the Constitution, resulting in the establishment of a system where the power of the government is limited and the bulk of rights remain with the people. Locke's ideas support the notion that governments must operate with the people's best interests at heart and that citizens retain ultimate control over the government, with the ability to reconstitute it should it fail in its duties. This reflects the core belief in unalienable rights and the safeguard against tyranny.