Who believed people should be able to pick their leader?

The belief that people should be able to choose their leaders is often associated with democratic principles, which were prominently championed during the Enlightenment by thinkers like john Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Locke argued for the social contract and the importance of consent in governance, while Rousseau emphasized popular sovereignty. This idea laid the groundwork for modern democratic systems, where elections allow citizens to select their representatives.