Why Government

Worksheet Description

This worksheet is centered on the philosophical underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence. It prompts students to contemplate and articulate the fundamental purposes of government, the source of a government’s power, and the rights of the people in relation to a government that fails to serve its purposes. The questions are designed to elicit critical thinking and reflection on the principles that justify a government’s existence and authority. By providing written responses, students engage directly with the core concepts presented in the Declaration of Independence.

The worksheet serves as an educational tool to help students understand key democratic principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence. It teaches students that governments are established to serve specific purposes, including the protection of certain unalienable rights. It also addresses the concept of popular sovereignty, the idea that a government’s power is derived from the consent of the governed. Lastly, it encourages students to consider the right of the people to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive to these ends, thus introducing them to the right of revolution inherent in the American political tradition.