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Select Citation Style Copy Citation Share to social media verifiedCiteWhile every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style Copy Citation Share to social media Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaJohn Locke’s political theory directly influenced the U.S. Declaration of Independence in its assertion of natural individual rights and its grounding of political authority in the consent of the governed. Locke also advocated a separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers, a feature of the form of government established in the U.S. Constitution.
