Question

Which statement from the Declaration of Independence1 best reflects the Enlightenment idea of popular sovereignty?

Answer 1

The correct answer is D.

The popular sovereignty principle was developed during the Enlightenment era, constituted by philosophers that promoted Reason and the scientific method over medieval superstitions and religious dogmas, and the establishment of democratic societies where the power resided on its people, and not in absolute monarchs or rulers "appointed by God", that prevailed back then.

This is why the Declaration of Independence, based on many Enlightenment principles, included that the power of a goverement has to be derived from the consent of the governed, which usually are entitled to elect political representatives through suffrage.

Answer 2

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.