The preamble to the declaration of independence outlines the principles upon which the new government would be based. which of these best describes one of those principles? a government based on a social contract the end of taxation without representation the removal of the british military a need for equality regardless of race or gender

1) A government based on a social contract.

The preamble to the Declaration of Independence holds that all men are created equal, and has certain unalienable rights, such as Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. And in order to secure these rights, people have the power to institute a government, but they also have the power to abolish it whenever it became destructive.

This form of government is the same that the English philosopher John Locke proposed in his "Two Treatises of Government" (1689). Lock held that men are by nature free and equal, but with the purpose to interact in a healthy society, it was necessary that they transferred some of their rights to a government in a social contract. Such government had to be elected by the people and changed by the people, and had to protect their unalienable rights.

The preamble to the Declaration of Independence outlines the principles of a government based on a social contract.

Further Explanation:

A social contract is an agreement between citizens and their government. In this scenario, the citizens agree to give up some of their individual freedoms and liberties. In return, the government agrees to develop institutions and laws that will provide for safety for all citizens. This balance of power between citizens and the government ensures that the government has the ability to create laws that punish citizens for wrongdoing. The hope is that penalties will discourage citizens from committing harmful actions.

In the actual preamble to the Declaration of Independence, it indirectly refers to this topic when it discusses how governments gain their power "from the consent of the governed."  Along with this, the preamble also discusses the idea that people have the power to "dissolve" this relationship with the government if they become destructive and start to infringe upon the civil liberties of individual citizens.

Learn More:

Background information: Declaration of Independence-

Key Details:

Topic: American History, American Revolution

Grade Level: 7-12

Keywords: Declaration of Independence, American Revolution, Social contract

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