Philosophical Roots of American Government Essay

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His social contract put forward the notion that citizens at some point give their consent to live under a "certain political structure" and that requires a social contract.

John Locke is often seen as the "…philosopher of the American Revolution," Heineman explains. Locke's view was that in the early period of human existence, mankind lived in a state of nature, but though it was reasonably pleasant, there were problems. And how were those problems to be solved? Locke's view was the people then created a "social contract" -- a government -- and that government would serve the people's needs and wishes and would protect liberties and property. But the social contract Locke described would restrict government so its power won't interfere with citizens' rights.

Among the hallmarks of Locke's democratic philosophy: a) citizens have a role to play through their representative government; b) leaders in the government cannot rule in "tyrannical fashion"; and c) common law would keep citizens protected from "arbitrary government" (Heineman, 24-25).

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In addition to John Locke's writings, others that were cited by the founders in their push to develop a democracy included Montesquieu, Blackstone, Cicero and others.

Also, it was presented that there should be no "taxation without representation" and in fact with the British government began taxing the colonists but now allowing those colonists to have a say in how they were government, it created the tension and anger that grew into what later became the "American Revolution."

In conclusion, there were also some concepts from the English constitution, but overall the founders of the U.S. Constitution used examples such as John Locke's writing to create a new form of democracy where the government was truly represented by the governed.

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