Philosophical Foundation of American Government Objective 1.1.

Philosophical Foundation of American

GovernmentObjective 1.1

Classical Republicanism

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•Common Good:•Rests on idea shared autonomy of community•Individuals should put the needs of community over self interests

•Civic Virtue:•Purpose of government is to cultivate habits of personal living•Important to success of community.•Emphasizes responsibilities/obligations of citizenship

•Citizenship •Citizens are “political entitites”•Individuals are inherently unequal…

•Not everyone is capable of demands of citizenship•Participation in political & civic life is necessary

•Personal fulfillment•Betternment of community

Natural Rights Philosophy



•Individual:•Rests on autonomy of individual•People are motivated by self-interest

•Purpose of Government:•To protect individual rights•Emphasizes rights/powers of citizenship•Citizen’s are LEGAL entities

•Citizenship:•Citizens are legal entities•Individual equality in possession of natural rights•Participation in politics is secondary to participation in private pursuits.•Active participation is good

•Betterment of both individual & community.•Guarantees that government is doing its job.

Rule of Law•Government Authority:

•Legitimately exercised and enforced•Written down•Citizens aware

•Keep government “in check”

•Laws:•Kept within reason•Established by proper authority•Purpose-to achieve good and order•Properly communicated

•Justice:•Laws not necessarily fair or just.•Applies simply to how laws are enforced•Dictatorships can follow rule of law

Thomas Hobbes



•State of Nature:•People are inherently evil•People are equally free•Governed by fear & insecurity• Possess liberty of self-will•Limited resources lead to war

•Social Contract:•Transfer of some rights for protection•Government promises protection & peace•Government has absolute sovereignty

Thomas Hobbes



•Political Life:•Rejects idea of separation of powers• Supports strong central government •Government to protect rights & for protection

•Civic Virtues:•Private domain•Competition leads to war & conflict•Little to no political participation required of citizens

Thomas Hobbes



•Implications:

•Conflict is not man’s best interests •Peaceful societies are formed by entering a social contract•Law enforces social contracts in society•Moral obligation to abide by conditions of authority•Distrustful of people’s ability to participate in government.

•Supports Absolute Monarchy

John Locke



•State of Nature:•People are inherently good, but selfish

•Equally Free•Governed by God’s law of Nature

•Possess natural rights•Results in social conflict

•Social Contract:•Agreement to use $ creates society

•Government to protect natural rights of all

•Popular sovereignty•Government accountable to the people

•Limited Government

John Locke



•Political Life:•Representative Government•Separation of Powers•Limited Government•Majority Will

•Civic Virtues:•Virtues conducive to commerce•Frugality, Moderation•Hard work of individual•Law & order•Relationships considered contractual

John Locke



•Implications:

•Right of revolution if government violates social contract•Private Domain of society•Faction derived from self interest•Sporadic citizen participation•Safeguarded rights•Due Process•Written Constitution•Individual comes first

•Supports Representative Democracy (Republic)

Jean Jacques Rousseau



•State of Nature:•People are generally good•Equally free•Governed only by self-preservation & pity•No natural rights•People with possessions think of themselves as having rights•Science leads to corruption of primitive society•Class conflict

•Social Contract:•All surrender their “rights” to society (General Will)•Society redistributes possessions in form of legal rights•Can be dissolved at any time




•Political Life:•Citizens directly involved in making general policies•Bureaucracy administers policies•Majority Rule

•Civic Virtues:•Patriotism•De-emphasizes commercial competition-•Small-territory•Homogenous•Censorship




• Implications:

•Degeneration of community•Erosion of private sector and

factions•Self-governing

•Rights dependent of social recognition•Due Process

•Unwritten Constitution•Society first, Individual second

•Popular sovereignty

Supports Direct Democracy

British Origins of US Government



•Feudal System:•Under fuedalism, Lords relied on councils to advise them. •Creation of Representative Monarchy:

•House of Lord•House of Commons

•Parliamentary System:•Struggle for power between monarch & parliament•Citizens punished without due process•To protect rights, documents were written to limit power of monarch

English Bill of RightsPetition of Rights

British Origins of US Government

• Home Rule:– Allowed colonial self-governance

• British concerned about controlling America’s foreign commerce.

• Created through “royal charters”

– Elected own local leaders• British appointed governors, councils & judges

– Colonies started writing their own constitutions

– Starting in mid 1750’s, home rule began to be limited.• Restraining Act of 1775• Intolerable Acts of 1774• Strained relationship between colonies and Great Britain!

Philosophical Foundation of American Government Objective 1.1.

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