The ideas of the Enlightenment, including the concept of the social contract, influenced the American Revolution. Which of these statements best explains what a social contract is?

A social contract is an agreement in which people accept a government’s authority and follow its rules in return for protection and the safeguarding of their rights. This is best expressed by “People support the government in exchange for rights and protection.” The other choices describe ways people participate in government, not the exchange at the heart of the social contract.

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