Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence embodies the American values of liberty and egalitarianism as natural or inalienable rights within a social contract. These values are not related to the separation of powers in government structure but to the principles that government should protect individual rights, and if it fails, the people may alter or abolish it.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American values of liberty and egalitarianism are clearly represented in the Declaration of Independence as part of the social contract theory. These values are presented as natural, or inalienable, rights that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These foundational concepts were inspired by Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke, who influenced Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers.
According to the Declaration, whenever a form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it. Moreover, the document asserts the equality of all men, stating that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, emphasizing the idea that legitimacy comes from the people's will.
The Declaration does not encompass the notion of separation of powers as it is understood in the context of governmental structure but instead focuses on the principle that government should respect and protect the individuals' rights to liberty and equality, and if it fails to do so, the governed retain the authority to change it. This can be seen as an assertion of the social contract, where the governed agree to be ruled only so long as their natural rights are safeguarded.