Philosophical Foundation of American Government

1. Philosophical Foundation of American Government Objective 1.1

2. Classical Republicanism • 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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)

11. 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

12. Jean Jacques Rousseau • 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

13. Jean Jacques Rousseau • 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

14. 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 Rights • Petition of Rights

15. 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!