Five Sources ofAmerican

Government

1. Ancient Greece and RomeStarting around 500 B.C., in the city of Athens, Greece, each year, 500 names were drawn from all the citizens of Athens. Those 500 citizens had to serve for one year as the law makers of ancient Athens.  All citizens of Athens were required to vote on any new law that this body of 500 citizens created.

This was a direct democracy, a democracy in which all laws are made directly by the people.

In the colonies, the idea of direct democracy was practiced through the use of town meetings.

The Ancient Romans liked the idea of democracy, but it evolved in Rome into the idea of a republic (also called a representative democracy or an indirect democracy).

This led to the development of early legislatures ~ groups chosen to make laws.

2. The Magna Carta (1215)

King John in England signs the Magna Carta. Key ideas:

• there are rights that even a king cannot take away(right to a fair trial,

right to travel freely)

• limited the powers of the king for the first timeLimited Government

3. English Bill of Rights (1689)“The Glorious Revolution” (1688)~

King James is replaced by William and MaryParliament further limits the power of the king--a.k.a the “Second Magna Carta”Key Ideas:

• Right to free speech• Right to trial by jury• Everyone,

including the leaders, must obey the law Rule of Law

4. John Locke (1632-1704)

English writer “Two Treatises on Government”

Key Ideas:

• Government exists for the people, not the people for the government

• Governments must protect people’s natural rights ~ rights you are born with and that no government can take away

Locke said all people had three natural rights:

Life Liberty Property

• Governments that abuse their power should not be obeyed

Still Locke…

5. Montesquieu (1689-1755)

French writer “The Spirit of the Laws”

Key Ideas:

• Good government should divide its power into three branches

• Monarchies were very dangerous because kings held all the power in government

Separation of powers