Understanding Key Concepts in the Declaration of Independence

According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the purpose of governments?

• To take away people's rights

• To protect people's rights

• To make people unhappy

• To control everything

What must governments have to have power, according to the Declaration of Independence?

• Consent of the governed

• Permission from other countries

• Unlimited power

• No rules

What is meant by "consent of the governed"?

• Permission from the people who are ruled

• A type of government

• A form of protest

• A new law

According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the primary source of government power?

• The king's divine right to rule

• The consent of the governed

• Military strength and control

• Wealth and social status

The phrase "all men are created equal" in the Declaration most directly challenges which colonial-era belief?

• That people should pay taxes to support government

• That some people are naturally born to rule over others

• That governments should protect individual rights

• That colonies should remain connected to Britain

When the Declaration states that people can "alter or abolish" destructive governments, it establishes which democratic principle?

• Separation of powers

• Freedom of speech

• Popular sovereignty

• Checks and balances

The Declaration's argument that the colonies "ought to be Free and Independent States" was revolutionary because it:

• Rejected the idea that people needed any government at all

• Claimed that distance alone justified independence

• Asserted that people could choose their own form of government

• Argued that only Americans deserved freedom

How does the Declaration's logic justify the colonists' decision to declare independence rather than simply protest?

• Protests are always ineffective against powerful rulers

• The king had repeatedly violated the social contract with his subjects

• Independence was easier than trying to reform the British system

• The colonists wanted to avoid paying any taxes whatsoever

Which idea from the Declaration of Independence supports the right of people to change their government?

• People can create a new government if the old one fails to protect their rights

• Colonies must obey all laws from Britain

• Governments are always permanent

• Only kings can decide how governments are run

What does the Declaration of Independence say about unalienable rights?

• They belong to all people and cannot be taken away

• They are given by the king

• They can be taken away by the government

• They only apply to people in Britain