Which statement best describes the idea of the Social Contract?

Which statement best describes the idea of the Social Contract?

• A. Popular Sovereignty
• B. Federalism
• C. The Social Contract
• D. Natural Rights

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that government legitimacy comes from a mutual agreement among people to form a society and to be ruled by laws in exchange for protection of their rights. Social contract theory holds that individuals consent to surrender some freedoms and accept laws in return for order, security, and the safeguarding of rights. This is the foundation for why governments exist and why their power is legitimate only as long as they honor that agreement. While popular sovereignty emphasizes that the people hold ultimate authority, and federalism describes how power is shared between levels of government, and natural rights are the basic rights people possess, the social contract specifically explains the justification for forming government through collective consent. So the description that captures this idea is that government arises from a mutual agreement among the governed to create a society and protect rights.

The idea being tested is that government legitimacy comes from a mutual agreement among people to form a society and to be ruled by laws in exchange for protection of their rights. Social contract theory holds that individuals consent to surrender some freedoms and accept laws in return for order, security, and the safeguarding of rights. This is the foundation for why governments exist and why their power is legitimate only as long as they honor that agreement. While popular sovereignty emphasizes that the people hold ultimate authority, and federalism describes how power is shared between levels of government, and natural rights are the basic rights people possess, the social contract specifically explains the justification for forming government through collective consent. So the description that captures this idea is that government arises from a mutual agreement among the governed to create a society and protect rights.