Philosophical Foundations of the American Revolution Practice Test

Secondary-source excerpt (75–125 words): Historians note that revolutionary rhetoric frequently emphasized equality in a specific sense: not identical wealth or status, but equal moral standing and equal entitlement to basic rights. This claim supported opposition to arbitrary authority and demanded that laws apply generally rather than serving a privileged few. At the same time, many revolutionaries limited the practical reach of this equality. Which Enlightenment principle is most directly invoked in the excerpt?

Secondary-source excerpt (75–125 words): A historian explains that revolutionary ideology treated the people as the ultimate judge of whether government had violated its purposes. This did not mean constant rebellion, but it did mean that legitimacy was not self-certifying. The people retained a final authority to reform or replace institutions that became destructive of rights. Which principle is most directly expressed?