Final answer:
The principle described in the provided excerpts is popular sovereignty, highlighting that governments are instituted with the consent of the governed and emphasizing the people's right to alter or abolish a government if it fails to protect their unalienable rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principle of government described in the excerpts is the concept of popular sovereignty, which contends that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed. This principle asserts that the legitimacy of a government comes from the will or consent of the people it governs.
Moreover, it suggests that the people have the right to change or abolish a government if it becomes destructive to these ends. The writings particularly echo the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which outlines the fundamental reasons the American colonies sought to establish their own government separate from British rule.