Final answer:
The principle of the social contract is evident in the Declaration of Independence's emphasis on government's legitimacy stemming from the consent of the governed and in the Articles of Confederation's focus on limited government respecting state sovereignty.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principle of the social contract is prominently reflected in the Declaration of Independence through its assertion that government's legitimacy comes from the consent of the governed. This Enlightenment idea, particularly advanced by philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, proposed that individuals give up some freedoms to a government in order to maintain social order and receive protection of their rights. If a government fails to protect these rights, citizens have the right to overthrow it.
Similarly, the Articles of Confederation, which served as the first constitution of the United States, incorporated social contract theory by emphasizing a government by united states with a limited central government. This document reflected the distrust of centralized power and an attempt to preserve the independence and sovereignty of the individual states within a collective framework. However, it did not succeed in balancing these goals effectively, leading to a revision in the form of the Constitution.
The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation are historical documents that exemplify social contract theory by ensuring that government operates with the consent of the people and for their benefit, particularly in securing their natural rights.