One of the foundational principles that informed the Revolution was that of popular sovereignty. Which phrase from the Declaration is an expression of this principle?
A. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . .”
B. “… Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
C. “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries . . .”
D. “… it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…”
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is B. “… Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
Popular sovereignty is the principle that a government’s authority is derived from the will of the people, and it emphasizes that power belongs to the people rather than to any monarch, elite, or central authority. The phrase in option B directly expresses this principle by stating that governments exist only because the people consent to their authority. If the people no longer approve of the government, they have the right to change it.
The Declaration of Independence was written to assert the American colonies’ right to break free from British rule. By including the phrase in option B, Thomas Jefferson and the other signers emphasized that legitimate government depends on the consent of the people, which was a radical and foundational idea at the time. This idea was in contrast to the British monarchy, where power was centralized and based on hereditary rule rather than the will of the governed.
The other options, though important in the Declaration, do not directly express the principle of popular sovereignty. For example, option A refers to the equality of all men but does not specifically address the idea that government derives its powers from the people. Option C critiques the actions of King George III, highlighting his tyranny but not the idea of the people’s role in government. Option D, while asserting the right of people to change a corrupt government, speaks more to the right of revolution than to the foundational principle of popular sovereignty itself.
In summary, option B best reflects the principle of popular sovereignty because it explicitly states that government power comes from the consent of the governed, which was one of the key ideas motivating the American Revolution.