It's a term originally from the 1700s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract . I learned it in US history

It's a term originally from the 1700s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract . I learned it in US history courses in school. My best guess about the "whistle" lwhalen refers to is the anti-libertarian implication in the concept. That Wikipedia page links to various bits of criticism, including "A critique of social contract theory as counter-factual myth" and "A satirical example of a social contract for the United States from the Libertarian Party."