As the colonist declared their independence from Great Britain, many did not want a political system, due to England’s horrid political structure. This resulted in a conflict between those who wanted to live free from rule, and those who saw the need for a system. The colonists’, who did not want to be ruled, compromised because they wanted their natural rights and liberties to be protected. The government ensures the protection of inherent rights, and protects freedom, liberty, and prosperity. The government is also used to reach these types of compromises. It is very rare for people to completely agree on such controversial issues, and the government asks as the mediator in order for things to actually get …show more content…
This stated that government was necessary to keep order. Hobbes states that citizens cannot be trusted to rule independently because no one can agree on anything. As a result, he believed that all alienable rights should be handed over to the government.
4. What are the roots of the American understanding of republicanism, constitutionalism, liberty, justice, equality and pluralism? When the colonists traveled to the new world, they brought with them the ideas found in Great Britain. The migration from the old world to the new world happened right after the enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a period of time when culture and social changes occurred. The change was specifically prominent in reason, analysis and individualism. The Enlightenment made the English rebel against the current political system in place. They did not like the fact that they where completely under control of parliament. This led to the colonists wanting a government different from Great Britain. Republicanism was essential, because it givers right back to the people. Constitutionalism was essential because it protects life and liberty; which was fundamental to the new world’s political …show more content…
What was the founders’ view of the purpose of government and the role of the citizen in the American Republic? Are these views still relevant at the clos of the Millennium? The founders’ view of the purpose of government was to protect unalienable rights. They knew that this was the main reason why we have government. These unalienable rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; which is stated in the Declaration of Independence. (“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”) Today, people are still trying to decipher what the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence is truly trying to say. For example, there have been recent arguments centered on the death penalty. The Eighth Amendment restricts against “cruel and unusual punishment”. This makes people think that the death penalty should also be restricted, however capital punishment was sometimes declared lawful.
6. Define the following concepts: democratic theory, republicanism, pluralist theory, majoritarianism, and the elitist