Full Idea
The silence of the people permits the assumption that the people consents.
Gist of Idea
Silence of the people implies their consent
Source
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The Social Contract (tr Cress) [1762], II.01)
Book Reference
Rousseau,Jean-Jacques: 'The Social Contract', ed/tr. Cranston,Maurice [Penguin 1972], p.70
A Reaction
This seems to me a crucial principle for a democracy, because it says that the democratic way of life is much more than elections. Each citizen has a duty to bravely speak out; the more citizens willing to do this, the less bravery is required.