Final answer:
The social contract's balance between individual freedoms and state authority is essential in managing conflicts within the American political system. It underpins the relations between the government and citizens, dealing with how much personal freedom can be sacrificed for collective security and the general will.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic of the social contract that is central to managing conflict in the American political system is the balance between the state authority and the rights of individuals. Under the social contract theory, individuals must accept certain moral and political obligations as part of society. Specifically, in the American context, this entails citizens agreeing to give up some of their natural freedoms in exchange for the protection of their rights by the government.Locke and Rousseau, prominent social contract theorists, argue that the social contract requires governments to protect individual rights while also putting a limitation on personal freedoms to serve the greater good.
Government should work to maintain the general will, which is the collective interest of the population. When the government fails to protect these rights or the general will, citizens have the moral right to withdraw their obligations to the state. In the United States, this concept influences how laws are made and interpreted, especially through instruments such as the Bill of Rights, which exists to balance the power of the state with the liberties of individuals.