According to the Declaration of Independence, the purpose of government is to secure the unalienable rights of the people, which include "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." Governments are instituted among men to protect these rights, and their just powers are derived from the consent of the governed. When a government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute a new government that will better ensure their safety and happiness.
