The Declaration of Independence

Question

Your local council approves a new rule after many community meetings and citizen comments. The rule states that all new building permit applications require an "environmental impact study." The purpose is to ensure that the building plans will prevent unnecessary harm to local residents, wildlife, and plant life.

Respond in complete paragraphs to each of the following questions:

1. Which founding principles does your scenario connect to? Explain using details from the scenario and two of the founding principles.
2. How does the Declaration of Independence reflect these same two principles?

I choose Democracy and Limited government. So you must use those two.

Answer 1

Democracy and Limited Government were great choices! Each of those principles connects to a specific part of the scenario given. These questions should point you in the right direction:

1. Is it democratic for the local council to impose this new rule? What is it about the approval process of the council's new rule that makes it democratic (or not)?
2. Does your local council's new rule extend or limit the powers of your local government?

As for how the Declaration of Independence reflects these two principles, you could start by thinking about the following excerpts from the text:

1. "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
2. "...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it."
3. "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 Happiness."
4. Finally, try to read over the list of complaints the authors of the Declaration had. Was the British government was living up to the principle of Limited Government?

I hope these suggestions give you an idea of how to start on your essay. Of course, let me know if you have any further questions!