In 1775, Thomas Paine wrote a 47-page pamphlet that inspired the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. His words argued the benefits of America's separation from the British. Read the following excerpt from "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine. Then, answer the question that follows.

As to government matters, it is not in the power of Britain to do this continent justice: The business of it will soon be too weighty, and intricate, to be managed with any tolerable degree of convenience, by a power so distant from us, and so very ignorant of us; for if they cannot conquer us, they cannot govern us. To be always running three or four thousand miles with a tale or a petition, waiting four or five months for an answer, which when obtained requires five or six more to explain it in, will in a few years be looked upon as folly and childishness—There was a time when it was proper, and there is a proper time for it to cease.

In your own words, summarize the excerpt. Be sure to TIE it together by identifying the topic of the passage, the information provided, and the central idea.