"Fundamental Rights This relationship of citizen and state is fundamental to democracy . In the words of the U.S . Declaration of Independence , written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 : We hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men are created equal , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights , that among these are life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness . That to secure these rights , governments are instituted among men , deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . More specifically , in democracies , these fundamental or inalienable rights include freedom of speech and expression , freedom of religion and conscience , freedom of assembly , and the right to equal protection before the law . This is by no means an exhaustive list of the rights that citizens enjoy in a democracy , but it does constitute a set of the irreducible core rights that any democratic government worthy of the name must uphold . Since they exist independently of government , in Jefferson 's view , these rights can not be legislated away , nor should they be subject to the whim of an electoral majority ."
"And here our Government recognizes : Rule of Law : Fundamental Rights of Citizens Democracies exist to serve their people"
"That to secure these rights , governments are instituted among men , deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . This is by no means an exhaustive list of the rights that citizens enjoy in a democracy ,"
"Fundamental Rights of Citizens Democracies exist to serve their people"