A) Representatives should be elected. CORRECT Thomas Paine's Common Sense is a passionate call for representative government. He argued that the British monarchy was corrupt and that the only legitimate form of government was one where the people choose their leaders through elections. Paine believed that elected representatives would be accountable to the people and act in their best interest, unlike a hereditary monarch who rules for life. This idea was revolutionary at the time and directly influenced the American Revolution and the creation of a republic. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution both reflect this principle, establishing a government based on popular sovereignty and representative democracy.
B) Representatives should be appointed. INCORRECT This option contradicts the core message of Common Sense. Paine was highly critical of the British system where officials were often appointed by the king or inherited their positions. He argued that such appointments led to corruption and tyranny, as those in power were not accountable to the people. Instead, he advocated for the election of representatives, which he saw as the only way to ensure that government served the public good. The concept of appointment without consent was antithetical to the republican ideals that Paine championed.
C) The monarchy supports self-government. INCORRECT This is the opposite of Paine's argument. In Common Sense, Paine systematically dismantles the idea that monarchy can support self-government. He argues that monarchy is inherently tyrannical and that the British monarchy, in particular, had oppressed the American colonies. Paine famously wrote that 'government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.' He believed that monarchy was a form of government that denied the people their natural rights and self-governance. Therefore, this option is false.
D) The monarchy creates limited government. INCORRECT Paine argued that monarchy, especially the British monarchy, was an unlimited and arbitrary power. He saw the king as a 'royal brute' who ruled by force and not by law. In contrast, he believed that a republic with elected representatives would create a limited government, one that is checked by the people and the rule of law. The idea of limited government is a key feature of the U.S. Constitution, which was designed to prevent the concentration of power that Paine associated with monarchy. Thus, this option misrepresents Paine's views.
