Read this passage: a democratic government includes a national legislature and an independent executive branch. after years of conflict bordering on civil war, leaders agreed that the legislature and executive branch must always be controlled by different political parties. this arrangement ensures that both major parties in the country always have some degree of political power. which principle of democracy does the government described in the passage most directly represent? a. respecting the equality of all citizens b. demanding individual freedoms c. recognizing the worth and dignity of the individual d. valuing the need to compromise

20 points “the creation of a mosaic was a complicated procedure that called for careful timing and teamwork. . walls were painted with resin or tar before being covered with the first of three layers of plaster. . a sketch of the projected work was then made on the plaster to serve as a guide for the various artisans. the outermost layer of plaster, in which the pieces, or tesserae, of the mosaic would be set, was spread on only enough area to contain a day’s work. some of the tesserae—small, carefully cut fragments of colored glass, marble, and semiprecious stones—were pressed into the wet plaster so that they projected at a slight angle. the stones thereby better reflected light and imbued the finished mosaic with a shimmering life of its own.” —empires besieged: time frame a.d. 200–600 how many layers of materials were under the tiles? a. two- c. four- b. three- d. five