All governments, from tiny local to national, have the power to Tax and Regulate. Less politely, they have the power to Take and Control. How government gets these two fundamental powers is seldom examined.
In the USA, the Declaration of Independence specifically defines the source of government power, "... governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ...". Leaving aside the question of what happens when the governed do not consent, we must ask, "Why would any rational person willingly institute a government to take their property and control them"?
The answer is deceptively simple: governments are necessary because "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" requires cooperation from fellow citizens. Individuals are willing to surrender some part of their property and personal freedom if others will do the same and cooperate to achieve common goals. Consent depends on how much property and freedom an individual is willing to give up to achieve exactly what goals and whether others are contributing their fair share or not. Governments of some sort are permanent; the consent of the governed is temporary and conditional.
Giving one small group of citizens (government officials) the legal power to take the property of and control the lives of all other citizens is risky business. In the USA, the Bill of Rights (first ten amendments to the constitution) severely limits what the Federal Government can legally do to control their fellow citizens. The Constitution itself outlines how the Federal Government is organized to provide internal restraints on government power. The Constitution, as amended, is the basic law of the nation. To be valid and legal, all other laws must adhere to the limits on Federal power contained in the constitution.
The "Consent of the Governed" is expressed politically by voting in national elections. When one group or another does not accept the results of the elections, the consent of the governed is in doubt. That is the case today.
