Question

Which passage from the Declaration of Independence reflects the Enlightenment principle of popular sovereignty?

A. Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

B. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations.

C. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

D. They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Answer 1

The correct answer is A) Government are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Popular sovereignty is the idea that people get the chance to vote on what happens in their government. This is why letter A is correct, as it is the only answer choice that deals with the rights of citizens getting to vote/choose their government and how it runs.

Answer 2

The answer is A. Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. This means that government gets all its power from the people. According to the Declaration of Independence, the government gets its power to govern from the people that it governs.