1.1 Heimler Video

Limited Government

• influenced by enlightenment

Natural Rights

• People are born w/ certain creator-given rights

  • not given by a monarch so cannot be taken away by a monarch

• John Locke: People are endowed w rights of Life, Liberty, and Property

• Free state of nature

• Hobbes: Humans are inherently self interested

Popular Sovreignty/Social Contract

• Popular Sovreignty: Power to govern in hands of the people

• Social Contract: willingly give over powerto government

• state is the servant of the people

• JJ Rousseau: If government becomes tyrannical, it is the people’s duty to overthrow it

Republicanism

• Montesquieu: People elect officials to represent them and make laws in the public interest

• Seperation of Powers

  • executive, legislative, and judicial

Documents

Declaration of Independence

• Written by Thomas Jefferson

• “We hold these thruths to be self evident”

• “Life Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness”

• Social contract

Constitution

• Seperation of Powers/ Republicanism

• Ineffective

  • Constitutional convention to draft new constitution

• Representative Republic: People vote in representatives to advocate for the people

• Thought democracy would lead to mob rule

• Seperation of Powers: three branches (E,L,J)

• Checks and Balances