What term refers to the idea that people have inherent rights and governments are formed to protect them?

• A. Natural rights
• B. Inherent right
• C. Civil rights
• D. Social contract

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that some rights belong to people by their very nature, not because a government grants them. Those are inherent (or natural) rights. Governments are formed to protect these rights, reflecting the belief that political authority exists to safeguard life, liberty, and property. So this option best fits the wording because it emphasizes rights that exist by nature and the purpose of government to defend them. Civil rights are legal protections within a system, while the social contract idea explains why governments exist at all rather than naming the rights themselves; natural rights is just another common label for the same concept.