Ace the Civic Literacy Challenge 2026 – Unlock Your Citizen Superpower!

Question: 1 / 400

According to the authors of the Declaration of Independence, who is responsible for protecting natural rights?

Citizens.

The government.

The authors of the Declaration of Independence assert that the government has the primary responsibility for protecting the natural rights of individuals. This perspective is rooted in the Enlightenment ideas of philosophers such as John Locke, who argued that governments are formed through a social contract to safeguard the inherent rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In the context of the Declaration, the government is seen as a necessary institution that derives its power from the consent of the governed, with its main purpose being to uphold and protect the natural rights of its citizens. If a government fails to fulfill this duty or becomes destructive to these ends, the people have the right to alter or abolish it, as stated in the document. This highlights a fundamental principle of American democracy: that the legitimacy of a government is contingent upon its ability to protect the rights of the people it serves.

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The monarchy.

The legislature.

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