Which statement describes the relationship between natural rights and political authority in the Declaration of Independence?

Which statement describes the relationship between natural rights and political authority in the Declaration of Independence?

• A. The government holds the right to rule regardless of consent.
• B. Governments are instituted among Men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
• C. People have no right to alter or abolish government.
• D. The Creator grants unlimited power to rulers.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that political authority rests on the consent of the governed and exists to protect natural rights. In the Declaration, governments are established by the people to secure those unalienable rights, and their just powers derive from the people’s consent. This means legitimate rule is conditional: if a government fails to safeguard life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the people retain the right to alter or abolish it and establish a new government that will better protect those rights. The other statements miss this foundational link between consent, purpose, and the protection of rights, or they misstate who holds power and where it originates.

The key idea is that political authority rests on the consent of the governed and exists to protect natural rights. In the Declaration, governments are established by the people to secure those unalienable rights, and their just powers derive from the people’s consent. This means legitimate rule is conditional: if a government fails to safeguard life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the people retain the right to alter or abolish it and establish a new government that will better protect those rights. The other statements miss this foundational link between consent, purpose, and the protection of rights, or they misstate who holds power and where it originates.