what must people provide in order to be governed under a social contract?

People must provide their rational consent (their agreement or permission) to be governed under a social contract.

In social contract theory, this means:

• They agree to give up some freedom they would have in a “state of nature.”

• They accept shared rules and laws in exchange for protection, order, and rights.

• The government’s authority is considered legitimate only because people have consented to it, at least in principle.

So, the key thing people must provide is their rational, voluntary consent to the government’s authority.