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In the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson clearly stated that the primary purpose of government is to secure our rights:

We hold these truths to be self-evident that all Men were created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that are among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Jefferson derived the most famous ideas in the Declaration of Independence from the writings of English philosopher john Locke. Locke wrote his Second Treatise of Government in 1689 at the time of England's Glorious Revolution, which overthrew the rule of James II.

Locke wrote that all individuals are equal in the sense that they are born with certain "inalienable" natural rights. That is, rights can never be taken or even given away. Among these fundamental natural rights, Locke said, are "life, liberty, and property."

Locke believed that the most basic human law of nature is the preservation of mankind. To serve that purpose, he reasoned, individuals have both a right and a duty to preserve their own lives.

Locke also argued that individuals should be free to make choices about how to conduct their own lives as long as they do not interfere with the liberty of others. Locke therefore believed liberty should be far-reaching.

By "property," Locke meant more than land and goods that could be sold, given away, or even confiscated by the government under certain circumstances. Property also referred to ownership of one's self, which included a right to personal well being. Jefferson, however, substituted the phrase, "pursuit of happiness," which Locke and others had used to describe freedom of opportunity as well as the duty to help those in want.

The purpose of government, Locke wrote, is to secure and protect the inalienable natural rights of the people. Locke further concluded, if a government persecutes its people with "a long train of abuses" over an extended period, the people have the right to resist that government, alter or abolish it, and create a new political system.

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Q: According to the declaration what is the purpose of government?
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According to the Declaration of Independence, the government derives its power from the consent of the governed. In other words its power comes from its people.The government get their power from the people.The government gets its power from the people, you and me!! The American citizens.