Explain how the Declaration of Independence is a social contract. How does it explain what the government can't or won't do?

A social contract is an agreement in which people set up a government and agree to have it rule them.  They agree as to what the purpose of government is and they agree on the very basic outlines of what it can and cannot do.  The Declaration of Independence is a social contract because it sets out the Americans’ ideas about what government can do and it explains why the Americans will agree to be ruled by a new government.

The Declaration of Independence does not explicitly include any language where the signers swear to be ruled by the new government that will be set up.  Instead, that is implied.  They say that they are becoming independent from the English government because that government is not acting in the correct way.  This implies that they will obey the government of the new country so long as it behaves correctly.

The Declaration clearly sets out the purpose of government.  It says that all people (or at least all men) have rights that have been given to them by God.  These are rights that no humans can legitimately take away.  It argues that people form governments to protect these rights and that governments only have the right to rule if the people agree.  This, in essence, is the social contract.  It implies that the American people will agree to be ruled by the American government.  In return, that government will protect their life, their liberty, and their ability to pursue happiness.

Since the Declaration is not a constitution, it does not specifically say what the government can and cannot do.  However, it clearly implies this.  It says that a government only exists to protect “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  In says that the people have the right to rebel if the government fails to do this.  Therefore, it is clear that the government cannot do anything that will infringe upon these fundamental rights.

The Declaration, then, is a social contract because it says what the government should do and what it cannot do and because it, at least implicitly, commits the people to obey the government.  It implies that the people will consent to be governed so long as the government protects their fundamental rights.