How Did John Locke Influence The Government

One major Enlightenment thinker in history is John Locke. Locke had a myriad of ideas that evolved into the American government and continue to thrive today. One right that Locke influenced is the “right to petition the government for redress of grievances” (US Constitution). Although Locke never directly stated that humans should petition the government, he took it a step further. Locke believed it was the right of the people to overthrow a corrupt government. America made Locke’s idea less harsh by allowing people to complain to the government. The first amendment opened up the ability to change the government without overthrowing them. Locke also influenced the limited government. Petitioning the government dates back to even before America
became an independent nation. We see this throughout history during disputes with the British over taxes. Just as people continue to petition the government, rationalist ideals of equality and reason continue to influence our government today.