What is the term that describes the agreement between the government and the governed?

The term that describes the agreement between the government and the governed is the social contract. This concept is foundational in political philosophy and refers to the implicit agreement among individuals to form a society and accept certain responsibilities and limitations in exchange for the protection of their rights and maintenance of social order by the government.

In a social contract, individuals consent to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of the state in exchange for the benefits of organized society, such as security and the rule of law. This philosophy was notably explored by thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, each offering different perspectives on the nature of this agreement.

Natural rights, although important, refer to the inherent rights that individuals possess, such as life, liberty, and property. These rights are often framed as aspects of the social contract rather than the contract itself. The harm principle, proposed by John Stuart Mill, focuses on the justification for limiting individual freedom to prevent harm to others and does not encompass the broader agreement between government and citizens. Tabula rasa, meaning "blank slate," is a term related to the theory of knowledge and human development rather than political agreement.

Thus, the social contract is the most accurate term to describe the foundational agreement