“That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety. That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people; that magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at all times amenable to them.”
— Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776
The principles regarding public officials and the source of political authority expressed in the excerpt most directly contributed to which of the following post-independence political developments?
- The design of early state constitutions that subordinated executive authority to the legislature and mandated annual electionsCevap
- BThe ratification of the Articles of Confederation to establish a dominant federal presidency capable of enforcing national laws
- CThe adoption of Alexander Hamilton’s financial plan to centralize economic power within a national bank
- DThe passage of the Declaratory Act by colonial assemblies to assert the supremacy of local charters over parliamentary legislation
Cevap
The design of early state constitutions that subordinated executive authority to the legislature and mandated annual elections
The excerpt asserts that political power is derived from the people and that magistrates are servants answerable to them. Following independence, Americans applied this principle by drafting state constitutions that heavily restricted executive power (viewing strong governors as potential tyrants) and establishing legislative supremacy with frequent, often annual, elections to ensure representatives remained directly accountable to their constituents.
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Philosophical Foundations of the American Revolution