The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads "That to secure these rights Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just power 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 new Government." What concept is illustrated by this passage?

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Damon

History

4 July, 12:04

The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads "That to secure these rights Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just power 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 new Government." What concept is illustrated by this passage?

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Glenn Brady · Answer 1

That's the principle of popular sovereignty. The people are the sovereign and its will and consent are the ultimate source of government legitimacy. If the government becomes tyrannical or unjust and if it supresses freedoms - just like British rule in the colonies in the 1770s -, then it's the right of the people to end that government and create a new one.