“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it.”What theory is reflected in this portion of the Declaration of Independence?
This portion of the Declaration of Independence reflects the theory of social contract or social compact theory. According to this theory, governments are created by the consent of the governed, and they derive their powers from the people. If a government fails to fulfill its purpose of protecting the people's rights and becomes destructive, the people have the right to alter or abolish that government and establish a new one.
