Question

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. ~Declaration of Independence, 1776 Which of the following is the best paraphrase of the text? a A group of people who are unhappy with their government can overthrow that government to create a new one. b The Laws of Nature and Nature's God requires that a group of people declare independence before they fight for independence. c Throughout history, when a group of people are unhappy with their government, they have the authority to leave and form their own government if they declare the reasons. d When a group of people are unhappy with their government, they have the natural right to leave and form their own government.

Answer 1

The best paraphrase of the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence is option (c), acknowledging the historical context and the requirement to declare reasons for forming a new government when the people are dissatisfied with the existing one.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt you've presented from the Declaration of Independence is a formal statement justifying the American colonies' decision to end political ties with Great Britain, claiming it as their natural right to establish their own government. The paraphrase that best captures the essence of this statement would be option (c): Throughout history, when a group of people are unhappy with their government, they have the authority to leave and form their own government if they declare the reasons. This option reflects the text's emphasis on the historical precedence, the authority of the people to form a separate government, and importantly, the need to respect global opinion by explaining their reasons for doing so.

However, options (a) and (d) acknowledge parts of this but do not capture the historical context implied in the original text. They also lack the element of the need for public declaration of reasons for independence. Option (b) misinterprets the text by suggesting that the Laws of Nature and God require a declaration of independence before fighting for it, which is not specified in the text. The original excerpt rather speaks to the idea that the legitimacy of government is based on the consent of the governed, and when a government fails to protect the natural rights of its citizens, the people have the right to alter or abolish it.