Question

Read this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. Then answer the question that follows.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Based on the excerpt, why do you think the Founding Fathers supported the idea of a limited government?

A. They believed that it was the government’s duty to fulfill the people’s wishes.

B. They wanted people to follow government laws and policies without conflicts.

C. They felt that a limited government would reduce public revolutions and uprisings.

D. They hoped to win foreign approval by following the limited government model.

Answer 1

It is very much A. They believed that it was the government’s duty to fulfill the peoples wishes.

It was right for me so it should be right for u too.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

A. They believed that it was the government’s duty to fulfill the people’s wishes.

"The people's wishes" maybe could better be expressed as "the will of the people." It's not so much that the government exists to fulfill every wish and whim that individual persons may have. Rather, the founders were expressing the Enlightenment idea that government derives its authority from the will and consent of the governed. The people create the government in order to safeguard and advance the best interest of the people as a whole, as a society.