| American Government |
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| Sections: Introduction | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 |
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Government : Origins : Section One Political Foundations of American Democracy Many of the ideas that were used in creating the American system of democracy came from a political philosopher named John Locke (1632 – 1704). Locke believed in the concept of natural law – that there were laws in nature that must be followed. Of this, he said, “The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges every one… No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions…” Locke believed that all human beings had the right to things such as life, liberty and property. He also felt that the purpose of government was to make sure that these rights were protected. Locke also believed that government was created by the people. If people did not create the government, then none would exist. Following this theory, no one has the right to govern over you unless you consent to being governed. A legitimate government would not exist unless the people gave their consent to be ruled by it.
Locke once said, “Whensoever… the [government] shall… put into the hands of any other an absolute power over the lives, liberty and estates of the people, by this breach of trust they forfeit the power [of] the people… who have a right to resume their original liberty, and by the establishment of the new [government] provide for their own safety and security.” So what does this mean? Locke felt that if the government that was in place was being oppressive and not doing enough to protect the weak citizens, that the citizens had a right to replace that government in favor of one that would protect their natural rights. This generally meant revolution. Locke lived during a historical period known as the Enlightenment. This was an intellectual movement that was based on the use of science, logic and reason. Scientific advances were very important at this time, and the scientific method was applied to the study of society and human behavior. The elite members of society made up the followers of this movement, which sought to lead the world in a better direction and away from superstition and tyranny. Enlightenment thinkers wrote much about philosophy and government. These ideas later influenced the American and French Revolutions. The European colonists who settled in America brought with them their knowledge of political systems that existed in Europe at the time, and the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers. These colonists sought to establish their government on three basic principles from England: Ordered Government – the colonists were keenly aware of the fact that there was a need for order, or organization, within their system of government. Organized government would define the relationship between people and establish rules to help people get along. They created local governments which still exist today in the form of town meetings and local/county official positions. Limited Government – the colonists understood that there needed to be limits placed on the powers held by the government. This was to protect citizens from having their rights unjustly taken away. This idea came from earlier English history and will be further discussed in a moment. Representative Government – in this system, people have a voice and vote in what the government will and will not do. The colonists felt it was important for qualified voters to have a say in the decisions made by the government, and to elect the officials who would make those decisions. The colonists did not come up with these ideas on their own. They came from English history. Three major English documents set the framework for these ideas:
The Petition of Right – this 1628 document was designed to further limit the powers of the king. The English Parliament stated in this document that the king could not imprison people without cause and could not declare martial law during peacetime. The English Bill of Rights – this 1689 document guaranteed further rights to citizens such as the right to speak freely and the right to petition the monarch. All of these ideas about government which came from England became the foundation for the system of government that would be established by the colonists and would later become the United States government.
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John Locke also was concerned about protecting individual’s rights. He felt that the stronger and smarter people would try to take away the life, liberty and property of those who were weaker. Locke felt that people were generally reasonable, but they were also looking out for their own self-interest. He said that the weaker people would have to join forces to protect their natural rights. 
Discussion Question 1 
Now it’s time to take the quiz on section 1. When you are finished, proceed to section 2.