Where did Rousseau believed rulers got their authority from?

Rousseau believed that rulers derived their authority from the collective will of the people, a concept he referred to as the "general will." He argued that legitimate political power is based on the consent of the governed, and that rulers should act in accordance with the common interest of the community. This social contract theory emphasized that authority is not inherent or divinely ordained, but rather established through the agreement of individuals who come together to form a society.