Which political concept is listed as part of the period transition described?

• A. Rights of the people
• B. Divine Right
• C. Mercantilism
• D. Absolute Monarchy

Answer: (A)

The shift described revolves around political legitimacy moving from unquestioned authority to governance based on the rights and consent of the people. The idea of the rights of the people captures that move toward natural rights, social contracts, and constitutional constraints on rulers—principles that justify limiting monarchical power and giving citizens protections and a voice in government.

Divine Right refers to rulers claiming authority from God, which supports an earlier, more absolute form of rule rather than a transition toward citizen rights. Mercantilism is an economic policy focused on accumulating wealth through trade and state regulation, not a political principle about who has authority. Absolute Monarchy describes the centralized, unchecked power structure itself, which is more about the old system being moved away from rather than the new principle that legitimizes rule through the people’s rights. So, the concept signaling the period transition is the rights of the people.