5
QuizMultiple Choice

The American Revolution

Question 5 • World History Since 1450, VIA Fall 2026, ajones5@sdale.org

Why was taxation without representation considered a violation of the social contract?

Answer
A
Taxation without representation indicated a lack of consent between the government and its citizens.
B
Taxation without representation violated the colonists’ natural right to property.
C
Taxation without representation was causing large debt in the colonies.
D
Taxation without representation ignored the colonists’ legal right to have the colonial government, not the British government, determine taxes.

Explanation

The social contract is the idea that government’s authority depends on the consent of the people it governs. The colonists argued that because they had no elected representatives in Parliament, they had not consented to taxes imposed by the British government. Therefore, taxation without representation indicated a lack of consent between government and citizens.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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