Final answer:
Thomas Paine, in Common Sense, argued that the British government had failed in its duty to protect the colonies and hindered their economic growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Paine, in his critical work Common Sense, responded to the argument that the British had protected the colonies by arguing that the British government had failed in its duty to the colonists. Paine asserted that while the British had been needed in the early development of the colonies, they had hindered the colonies' economic growth through trade restrictions. He also argued that a king was unnecessary and that the colonists had no reason to have a king if their interests were not being served.