Political Philosophers and Democratic Ideals (Video Notes)

Thomas Hobbes

Form of Government: Absolute sovereign (monarchy) with centralized power; authority justified by the social contract; powers are effectively unlimited in practice.
Purpose of Government: Maintain order and security; prevent the chaos of the state of nature.
Social Contract: People surrender most or all natural rights to the sovereign in exchange for peace and protection; the sovereign’s authority is not to be challenged.

Form of Government: Limited government; representative government; power derived from the consent of the governed; separation of powers (in practice, legislative and executive roles with checks).
Purpose of Government: Protect natural rights (life, liberty, property).
Social Contract: People give up some rights to obtain protection of rights; governments derive authority from consent of the governed; if government fails to protect rights, people have the right to resist or dissolve the government.

Form of Government: Sovereignty rests with the people; general will; direct democracy or institutions that enact the general will.
Purpose of Government: Promote freedom and the common good; ensure political equality.
Social Contract: People form a political community to enact the general will; true liberty is obedience to laws one helps create; individuals subordinate their individual interests to the general will.

Form of Government: Separation of powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches; checks and balances to prevent tyranny.
Purpose of Government: Protect liberty by preventing concentration of power; ensure government operates under the rule of law.
Social Contract: Emphasizes governance by rule of law and distributed powers; legitimacy stems from preventing the abuse of power rather than obedience to a single sovereign.

Limited Government: Restrictions on governmental power to protect natural rights; linked to Locke and Montesquieu (checks and balances, separation of powers).
Natural Rights: Rights inherent to all humans (life, liberty, property); central to Lockean thought; natural law in a state of nature implies freedom and equality.
Popular Sovereignty: The people are the ultimate ruling authority; government derives its power from the consent of the governed.
Republicanism: Government authority comes from the people; elected representatives govern for the common good under laws created with consent.
Social Contract: Free and equal people surrender certain rights for secure protections and a functioning polity; rights may be limited to maintain order; Rousseau highlighted the idea in The Social Contract.

Federalism: Division of power between national and state governments.
Representation: Elected representatives act on behalf of the people; consent of the governed.
Checks and Balances: Each branch can limit the powers of the others to prevent tyranny.
Separation of Power: Distinct legislative, executive, and judicial duties to prevent concentration of power.