The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence present many ideas which can be traced back to the time of classical antiquity. Many of the concepts within the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence can be linked to ideas that were present in ancient Greece and Rome. These ideas and concepts have helped form our society into what it is today. In Article 1 of the Constitution it states that, the House of Representatives and the Senate have all legislative powers. They have the power to pass the laws that control and influence our society. In history, the Romans had a system similar to this. Their government consisted of an Assembly, Senate and a Consul which controlled their society. A second concept can be found within the first amendment in the Bill of Rights, it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (amend. I). This grants United States citizens religious freedom. Despite of the fact that the Roman Empire was not religiously tolerant until the reign of Constantine the Great, there was a point where Roman citizens had religious freedom. Another parallel between America’s government and the worlds of classical Greece and Rome would be in the Writ of Habeas Corpus. It is a common idea that was first instituted by Emperor Justinian can be found in the sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Another idea found within the Declaration of Independence, the idea 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,” (line 7, Declaration of Independence) also finds its roots in the classical world. The concepts within this quote mirror some of the component of Greek Stoicism. They believed that all men were created equal and because of that we are all brothers. The last concept deals with the right of the people to alter or…
“To secure these inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, governments are instituted among men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed…Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.” - Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 1776.…
According to Gregory S. Kavka, “government is necessary to constrain people’s conduct toward one another, because people are not sufficiently virtuous to exercise the requisite degree of control on their own” (G. Kavka). In other words, government is created to control the faults of human nature for example, greediness and unfairness. “Framing a government which is to be administered by men over men” (R. Higgs). However, government is made of men with human faults and will act selfishly for their own gain if necessary. This is why constraints are put on government systems preventing absolute power to reign over citizens. If men were born without faults, if men were born perfect,…
Jefferson’s view on the purpose of government is that it is responsible to protect the people’s “unalienable rights”. Jefferson says that if government becomes “destructive of the ends for which it was created” it is the people’s responsibility to abolish it and replace it with a better government. Jefferson believed that the citizens of that government allows them to derive that power. Jefferson’s statement that “all men are created equal” meant that god did not make one man better than another. Some conflicts that could have come from this was that during this time there were still slaves in all of the colonies.…
The government of the United States is very complex. There are many different levels of government in America which include the federal government, state governments, and local governments. Even though all of these institutions differ from one another, they all have the same goal, which is to protect and provide Americans with the freedom that they deserve. Freedom is the most important thing that a person can have because it allows them to live life the way they choose. Without freedom, people would not be able to live the life they wanted to which would start immense conflicts.…
Everything that we as humans take part in during life has some sort of role with our government. What we eat is decided through government permits who allow or disallow people to produce. Where we work is closely monitored by the government, as well as the money we are allowed to bring home for our families. Who we are married to and how our children are taught is also rigorously observed and modified. In other words, our government has the power to change lives. However, at one time, our lives had to be governed by something. Back then, there were disputes…
The Declaration of Independence and The Preamble are the foundation for our country, they are what helps keeps our country balanced and equal. One of the primary standards talked about in the Declaration of Independence is that of equality, “ We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal”. This means all men are created equal, they have rights that are not given by the government: therefore, they cannot be taken away from the government. The Declaration of Independence brought forth numerous freedoms in the United States that may have never been…
Many people today use the government to their advantage to get away with things or to claim something is unconstitutional. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were specifically designed for the people, to protect their rights but it still wasn’t all that perfect. Since the separation from England and Parliament on July 4th, 1766, Americans had a hard time being able to govern themselves. This had proved that the central government needed to be stronger to avoid many arguments between the states and people.…
“ We came equals into this world, and equals shall we go out.” Based on the Constitution, it is possible for individuals in society to achieve equality because the First, Nineteenth, Third and Thirteenth Amendments give citizens of the United States freedoms that were not originally given in the Constitution. Most of the Amendments give reasons for equality in the U.S. For Example, the First Amendment gives freedom of speech, religion, press, and the right to assemble and petition. The Constitution gives equality in the United States because they give citizens freedoms that were not originally given in the Constitution. On the other hand, people may think that the Constitution does not give equality because some of the Amendments do not sound like they give for equality, but in a way they do. The Constitution does give for equality and freedom in the United States because of the Amendments today.…
According to Locke, the purpose of a government is to help people achieve equal natural rights. The government is obligated to defend and protect its citizens. However, the government must rule with the consent of the people. Also if the citizens have given their voluntary consent, they must support and obey a government that has claimed power. The citizens are obliged to obey the government if it has established legitimacy. However, one cannot be obligated to obey the government unless one has…
From the outspoken events of the Boston Tea Party to the courageous acts of the Civil Rights Movements, the United States has been built on the idea of a free society, where all men are created equal, and where equal representation is practiced throughout the states. But throughout history, the laws of the government have sometimes suppressed specific groups of American citizens, causing many to feel betrayed or unworthy in the eyes of our Founding Fathers. That’s why in 1776, the Founding Fathers stated in the Declaration of Independence that it’s the right of the people to abolish or alter any government that becomes destructive of deriving their powers from the consent of the governed. Founding Father, John Adams states that “Government…
The government lives up to what The Preamble promises. One promise that The Preamble makes is that there will be laws that make everyone equal. The “U.S Government Fourteenth Amendment” article talks about the fourteenth amendment. One section of the article talks about how the amendment provides equal protection of laws to everyone. In conclusion, the government lives up to what The Preamble promises. There are laws that apply to everyone which makes them all equal. No matter who you are, you must oblige to the law of the city, state, and…
The Declaration clearly states what the founders believed a government should be and how it should work. As stated by the declaration a government should respect that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights…”. Meaning that all people are equal and they all have unalienable rights given to them by God. As well that governments should be “instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Meaning that government was instituted on the people and also that government got its power from the consent of the governed, which is the idea that the people agree to be governed; or give their consent to be governed. Also…
In a letter to Henry Lee in May 1825, Jefferson explained that the Declaration’s “authority rests then on the harmonizing sentiments of the day,” and that “it was intended to be an expression of the American mind.” Although all men in the American nation were not, in fact, free and equal at the time the Declaration was written, according to the theory of natural rights, men have equality because they are men. Because we are all human, no one person should be able to rule another without the other’s consent. Where Calhoun views equality as sameness (same level in society, same physical and mental capacities, same level of wealth, etc.), Jefferson and the Founders intended equality to mean equal in natural rights, such as the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Equality of opportunity, regardless of one’s gender, race, ethnicity, or religion, and the idea that no one may claim the right to rule over others who are different in some way was the goal of including equality in the Declaration.…
The United States of America has always been referred to as “the land of the free”. Although we are not completely “free”, as a democracy, the United States stresses the importance of equality among its citizens. The U.S. constitution guarantees each and every American basic civil rights which in turn gives our country structure, function, and some power to the people. Every unique person will have rights they feel are more important to them than others depending on our views, attitudes, and ethics.…