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Rousseau and Montesquieu: The Impact of Their Ideas on Government

Rousseau and Montesquieu: The Impact of Their Ideas on Government. Review of Enlightenment Ideas. Enlightenment philosophers believed the goal of the government should be to promote material well-being and social justice Material well-being: measured through income and wealth

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Rousseau and Montesquieu: The Impact of Their Ideas on Government

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  1. Rousseau and Montesquieu: The Impact of Their Ideas on Government

  2. Review of Enlightenment Ideas • Enlightenment philosophers believed the goal of the government should be to promote material well-being and social justice • Material well-being: measured through income and wealth • Social justice: equal rights throughout all levels of society. • Hobbes and Locke had both rejected the theory of Divine Right • Political authority came from the people in a social contract

  3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau(1712–1778) – The Social Contract • Committed to individual freedom • People were happiest when alone • Believed society corrupted people’s natural goodness • The only good government was one that was freely formed by the people.

  4. Rousseau – On the Social Contract • It would be guided by the “general will” or will of the majority • The social contract was an agreement among free individuals to create a society and government • People agree to give up their freedom for the common good

  5. Rousseau – Compared to Locke • Like Locke, he believed that legal government came from the consent of the people. • Rousseau believed in a democracy with much more participation than Locke • He argued that all people were equal and wanted to end titles of nobility

  6. Rousseau – Impact of Ideas • Ideas inspired many leaders of the French Revolution to overthrow the monarchy • “General will” (direct democracy) would influence the U.S. Constitution • Public election of president and Congress

  7. Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755) - The Spirit of the Laws • Identified three types of governmental power • Legislative, Executive, Judicial • Separation of powers would keep any individual or group from gaining total control

  8. Montesquieu – Separation of Powers • Each branch would limit the power of the other branches to prevent absolute power • Led to the theory of Checks and Balances • Favored a constitutional monarchy based on the British model

  9. Montesquieu – Impact of Ideas • France and Latin American nations used separation of powers in their new constitutions. • Separation of powers and checks and balances became the basis of the U.S. Constitution. • Federal System of Government (national vs. state)

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