Quizziz SS.8.CG.1.2 (Assessment #s)

What are the natural rights listed in the Declaration of Independence?

• life, liberty, and privacy

• life, liberty, and property

• life, liberty, and protection from

  harm

• life, liberty, and the pursuit of

  happiness

Answer explanation

Inspired by the writings of

John Locke, in the Declaration of

Independence, Jefferson wrote, “We

hold these truths to be self-evident, that

all men are created equal, that they are

endowed by their Creator with certain

unalienable Rights, that among these

are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of

A is incorrect because while life and liberty are

both natural rights according to John

Locke and Thomas Jefferson listed

them in the Declaration of

Independence, privacy is not listed as a

natural right in any of the United

States’ founding documents.

B is incorrect because Thomas Jefferson was

inspired by the natural rights written

about by John Locke: life, liberty, and

property. In the Declaration of

Independence however, Jefferson

changed property to the pursuit of

happiness.

C is incorrect because while life and liberty are

both natural rights according to John

Locke and Thomas Jefferson listed

them in the Declaration of Independence, protection from harm is not listed as a natural right in any of the United States’ founding documents.

Which principle is included in the original U.S. Constitution?

• capitalism

• rule of law

• right to trial

• confederalism

Answer explanation

The U.S. Constitution is organized

around the principle of the rule of law; the

principle of the rule of law is that the law rules

over all persons, and no person is above the law.

A is incorrect because property rights are found in the U.S. Constitution although capitalism as an economic system is not found in the U.S. Constitution.

C is incorrect because the right to a trial is found in the Bill of Rights, which was added to the U.S. Constitution in 1791.

D is incorrect because the U.S. Constitution is based on a

federal system where power is shared between

the national and state governments. A confederal system is a decentralized, state-centered political system.

This passage comes from the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

"We the People of the United States ... do ordain and establish this

Constitution for the United States of America."

Based on this passage, which foundational principle is being described?

• rule of law

• due process of law

• limited government

• equality of mankind

Answer explanation

The first three words of the U.S.

Constitution, “We the People” establish a limited

government in which the government's power is

dependent on the people.

A in incorrect because rule of law refers to the principle that no one is above the law. While that is a foundational constitutional principle, it is not one described in this passage.

B in incorrect because due process of law involves a citizen’s right to not lose their life or freedom without having their legal rights protected. While that is a foundational constitutional principle, it is not being described in this passage.

D is incorrect because equality of mankind connects to the natural rights that everyone has and cannot be given or taken away by government.

This excerpt is from the Magna Carta (1215).

"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or

possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor

will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the

lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land."

Which founding idea is reflected in this excerpt?

• rule of law

• due process

• self government

• separation of powers

Answer explanation

The excerpt states that no free man shall

be imprisoned or possessions taken without

lawful judgment of his peers. This aligns with the idea of due process and following a set of legal proceedings before taking a person’s life, liberty, or property.

A is incorrect because the The idea of the rule of law was put in place to ensure no arbitrary abuse of power by those in the government. That is not the idea reflected in this excerpt.

C is incorrect because the idea of self-government is about citizens’ decision-making authority within government. This excerpt is about citizens having fair legal treatment under the law before taking away rights.

D is incorrect because the idea of separation of powers did not come from the Magna Carta, as the document was written to limit the king's power, not divide the government into branches.

What was a motivation for safeguarding natural rights in the U.S. Constitution?

• to control conflict

• to distribute resources

• to establish a federal government

• to uphold the social contract

Answer explanation

The Declaration of Independence

outlined how England broke the social contract it had with the colonies by violating their rights and ignoring the consent of the governed. The

document argued that the protection of natural

rights is the main purpose of government. The

Constitution is a social contract in that “we the

people” have given consent to be governed in

exchange for natural rights, privileges, and

protection.

A in incorrect because while conflict in United States history has often stemmed from tensions

regarding natural rights, this was not a key

motivation in safeguarding natural rights in the

Constitution. The protection of natural rights in

the U.S. Constitution is part of the social contract between people and their government.

B is incorrect because the Constitution does establish limitations on how those in government may use their powers to distribute resources, but this relates to limited government, not natural rights.

C is incorrect. Because of the weaknesses of the

Articles of Confederation, the United States did

move from a confederal system to a federal

system. The protection of natural rights is

unrelated to the system

These passages are from a founding document.

Which passage refers to a violation of due process of law?

• Passage 1

• Passage 2

• Passage 3

• Passage 4

Answer explanation

Due process is the right of people accused of crimes to have laws that treat them fairly, so that they cannot lose their life or freedom without having their legal rights protected. This grievance in the Declaration of Independence refers to colonists being deprived of a trial by jury. By doing this, England was withholding due process of law from the colonists, who

were English citizens.