What did Common Sense advocate?

• A. It advocated independence and a government based on popular representation.
• B. It urged continuing loyalty to Britain and monarchy.
• C. It called for a centralized imperial authority with no local rights.
• D. It proposed a theocratic government.

Answer: (A)

Common Sense argues that the American colonies should break free from British rule and build a government that gets its power from the people through elected representatives. Written by Thomas Paine in 1776, it makes the case that independence is necessary for liberty and a system of government based on consent, not distant rule from a monarch or empire. The emphasis is on a republic where laws come from the people and their representatives, rather than hereditary authority or top-down control from Britain.

This fits because the pamphlet critiques monarchy and imperial control, insisting that governance should reflect the will of the governed. It rejects loyalty to Britain and a monarchy, and it opposes a centralized system with no local rights. It also centers on reason and rights rather than religious rule, so it isn’t advocating a theocratic government.