Question

Summarize how the Declaration of Independence embodies social contract theory in action.

A. The Declaration of Independence describes how the United States government is arranged.
B. The Declaration of Independence was the first U.S. Constitution.
C. The Declaration of Independence lists all of the ways that the colonists felt their liberties had been violated by the king.
D. The Declaration of Independence lists the how the monarchy protected the people.

Answer 1

The Declaration of Independence embodies social contract theory primarily through option **C**: it lists all of the ways that the colonists felt their liberties had been violated by the king. Social contract theory emphasizes that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed and are established to protect the rights and liberties of the people. When the government fails to uphold its end of the contract, as the colonists argued against the king's actions, the people have the right to alter or abolish that government. The Declaration articulates these grievances and justifies the colonies' decision to seek independence, reflecting the principles of social contract theory in action.