Question

question 10
followers of the enlightenment in england and its colonies believed that power must be ________ to best protect individual liberty.

absolute
balanced
consolidated
destroyed

Explanation:

Analyze Enlightenment political philosophy

Enlightenment thinkers in England and its American colonies (such as John Locke and Montesquieu) strongly opposed absolute or consolidated government power, viewing concentration of authority as a direct threat to individual liberty.

Evaluate the options

• absolute: Incorrect. Absolute power leads to tyranny, which destroys individual liberty.
• balanced: Correct. Enlightenment thinkers argued that political power must be divided, checked, and balanced among different branches or institutions of government to prevent abuse and safeguard natural rights.
• consolidated: Incorrect. Consolidating power centralizes it, which is the opposite of what Enlightenment thinkers advocated.
• destroyed: Incorrect. They did not want to destroy political power or governance entirely, but rather structure it properly through a social contract.

Answer:

• absolute
• balanced (Correct answer)
• consolidated
• destroyed