chapter 1: principles of government section 0.1 copyright © pearson education, inc.slide 3 chapter...

Chapter 1: Principles of GovernmentSection 0.1

Chapter 1: Principles of GovernmentSection 0.1

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 3Chapter 1, Section 1

TOPICTOPIC

• POLITICAL THINKERS


Standard:Standard:

• 12.1 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy.

• 1. Analyze the influence of ancient Greek, Roman, English, and leading European political thinkers such as John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government.

• 2. Discuss the character of American democracy and its promise and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville.


ObjectivesObjectives

• Analyze the influence of John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government.

• Discuss the promises and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville.


Political ThinkersPolitical Thinkers

• Niccolo Machiavelli?– cited examples of mixed government to

demonstrate how balancing powers in government discourages tyranny.

– best known for his book, The Prince. The book influence the framers of the United States Constitution by suggesting that political power and government could be established without a religious mandate.



• Charles–Louis Montesquieu,– discussed the separation and balancing of

powers in government– In the Constitution, the founding fathers

provided for checks and balances to prevent one branch of government from becoming more powerful than the others.

– The framers chose to ignore Montesquieu’s idea that executive power could only be exercised by a monarch, not an elected head of state.



• John Locke,– Profoundly influenced the Founding Fathers of

the United States. His writings influenced natural rights philosophy and the development of American government,

– Believed life, liberty, and property were "unalienable rights," meaning these rights are not capable of being surrendered or taken away.



• John Locke,– In Two Treatises of Government, He wrote that

government should respect the natural rights of the individual. These rights include life, liberty, and property.

– the founding fathers encompassed Locke's philosophy of natural rights in The Bill of Rights

– According to Locke government exists only by the consent of the governed and no government can violate or dismiss the basic natural principles of justice.



• John Locke – He argued that the function of a government

is to protect individual rights and is limited in power by popular sovereignty.

– Defined a social contract as an agreement between equally free men to create a government that protects individual rights.

– Locke’s fundamental principle, natural rights, was clearly illustrated in the Declaration of Independence?



• William Blackstone– His work with English common law contribute

to the U.S. Constitution– It led constitutional framers to include much of

English common law as the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.



• Alexis de Tocqueville, – He observed that Americans joined together

in forming associations to solve community problems.

– He saw the building of civic Associations a unique and promising feature in America.



• Alexis de Tocqueville, – was convinced that a decentralized

democracy was possible for future societies as long as which two conditions were met, civil equality and political equality

– America’s strength was in the lack of a strong central government encouraged self–sufficient state and local governments. He Wrote letters about this.



• Alexis de Tocqueville, – American democracy was being threatened

by the impending tyranny of the majority.– A potential threat to the future of American

democracy lay in slavery through equality– public opinion in America tended towards

tyranny and that majority rule could be just as despotic as any king.



• Alexis de Tocqueville, "...I know of no other country where love of

money has such a grip on men's hearts or where stronger scorn is expressed for the theory of permanent equality of property."

–Democracy in America, 1835



• Alexis de Tocqueville, – America help to illustrate his political theories

by valuing equally the state and federal institutions that made up cohesive government.

– believe best of European ideas of government were put into use in the American democratic system.

chapter 1: principles of government section 0.1 copyright © pearson education, inc.slide 3 chapter...

Documents

locke government

branch of government

treatises of government

individual rights

political thinkersjohn

natural rights philosophy

political power

unalienable rights