Both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are foundational American documents that assert core principles about government and individual rights. The most significant similarity is their shared philosophical foundation: both are grounded in Enlightenment ideals, particularly the belief that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and that people possess inherent, unalienable rights. The Declaration explicitly states that governments are instituted to secure these natural rights and can be altered or abolished if they become destructive to that purpose. The Constitution, meanwhile, establishes a framework designed to protect individual rights through checks and balances, separation of powers, and eventually the Bill of Rights. Both documents also reflect a commitment to the principle that no government—including monarchies—is beyond question or reform. Additionally, both were created by American revolutionary leaders seeking to justify and organize a new nation based on democratic and republican principles rather than inherited authority. While the Declaration is primarily a statement of philosophical justification and separation from Britain (adopted in 1776), and the Constitution is a legal governing framework (ratified in 1787), they represent a coherent political vision: that legitimate government must protect individual liberty and operate with the consent of the people.