GED Social Studies : Declaration of Independence
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Example Questions
Example Question #4 : Historic Documents And Court Decisions
According to the United States Declaration of Independence, a government derives its "just Powers" from what?
The "Right of the Governors Birth"
The "Authority of God"
The "Wishes of the Elite"
The "Might of the King"
The "Consent of the Governed"
The "Consent of the Governed"
The opening text of the Declaration of Independence reads:
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness—-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government...
The Declaration of Independence was inspired by the burgeoning liberal tradition which held that it was nobody's natural right to rule over a people regardless of their wishes. Political legitimacy, instead of being based upon divine right or noble birth, is a matter of self-determination among those who consent to being governed.
Example Question #5 : United States History
Which of these Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence?
John Hancock
Alexander Hamilton
James Madison
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. He famously adapted John Locke’s views that all men have the right to "life, liberty, and property" to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
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