Philosophical Foundation of American Government
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Transcript of Philosophical Foundation of American Government
Philosophical Foundation of American
GovernmentObjective 1.1
Classical Republicanism
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•Common Good:•Rests on idea shared autonomy of community•Individuals should put the needs of community over self interests
•Civic Virtue:•Purpose of government is to cultivate habits of personal living•Important to success of community.•Emphasizes responsibilities/obligations of citizenship
•Citizenship •Citizens are “political entitites”•Individuals are inherently unequal…
•Not everyone is capable of demands of citizenship•Participation in political & civic life is necessary
•Personal fulfillment•Betternment of community
Natural Rights Philosophy
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•Individual:•Rests on autonomy of individual•People are motivated by self-interest
•Purpose of Government:•To protect individual rights•Emphasizes rights/powers of citizenship•Citizen’s are LEGAL entities
•Citizenship:•Citizens are legal entities•Individual equality in possession of natural rights•Participation in politics is secondary to participation in private pursuits.•Active participation is good
•Betterment of both individual & community.•Guarantees that government is doing its job.
Rule of Law•Government Authority:
•Legitimately exercised and enforced•Written down•Citizens aware
•Keep government “in check”
•Laws:•Kept within reason•Established by proper authority•Purpose-to achieve good and order•Properly communicated
•Justice:•Laws not necessarily fair or just.•Applies simply to how laws are enforced•Dictatorships can follow rule of law
Thomas Hobbes
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•State of Nature:•People are inherently evil•People are equally free•Governed by fear & insecurity• Possess liberty of self-will•Limited resources lead to war
•Social Contract:•Transfer of some rights for protection•Government promises protection & peace•Government has absolute sovereignty
Thomas Hobbes
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•Political Life:•Rejects idea of separation of powers• Supports strong central government •Government to protect rights & for protection
•Civic Virtues:•Private domain•Competition leads to war & conflict•Little to no political participation required of citizens
Thomas Hobbes
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•Implications:
•Conflict is not man’s best interests •Peaceful societies are formed by entering a social contract•Law enforces social contracts in society•Moral obligation to abide by conditions of authority•Distrustful of people’s ability to participate in government.
•Supports Absolute Monarchy
John Locke
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•State of Nature:•People are inherently good, but selfish
•Equally Free•Governed by God’s law of Nature
•Possess natural rights•Results in social conflict
•Social Contract:•Agreement to use $ creates society
•Government to protect natural rights of all
•Popular sovereignty•Government accountable to the people
•Limited Government
John Locke
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•Political Life:•Representative Government•Separation of Powers•Limited Government•Majority Will
•Civic Virtues:•Virtues conducive to commerce•Frugality, Moderation•Hard work of individual•Law & order•Relationships considered contractual
John Locke
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•Implications:
•Right of revolution if government violates social contract•Private Domain of society•Faction derived from self interest•Sporadic citizen participation•Safeguarded rights•Due Process•Written Constitution•Individual comes first
•Supports Representative Democracy (Republic)
Jean Jacques Rousseau
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•State of Nature:•People are generally good•Equally free•Governed only by self-preservation & pity•No natural rights•People with possessions think of themselves as having rights•Science leads to corruption of primitive society•Class conflict
•Social Contract:•All surrender their “rights” to society (General Will)•Society redistributes possessions in form of legal rights•Can be dissolved at any time
Jean Jacques Rousseau
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•Political Life:•Citizens directly involved in making general policies•Bureaucracy administers policies•Majority Rule
•Civic Virtues:•Patriotism•De-emphasizes commercial competition-•Small-territory•Homogenous•Censorship
Jean Jacques Rousseau
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• Implications:
•Degeneration of community•Erosion of private sector and
factions•Self-governing
•Rights dependent of social recognition•Due Process
•Unwritten Constitution•Society first, Individual second
•Popular sovereignty
Supports Direct Democracy
British Origins of US Government
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•Feudal System:•Under fuedalism, Lords relied on councils to advise them. •Creation of Representative Monarchy:
•House of Lord•House of Commons
•Parliamentary System:•Struggle for power between monarch & parliament•Citizens punished without due process•To protect rights, documents were written to limit power of monarch
English Bill of RightsPetition of Rights
British Origins of US Government
• Home Rule:– Allowed colonial self-governance
• British concerned about controlling America’s foreign commerce.
• Created through “royal charters”– Elected own local leaders
• British appointed governors, councils & judges– Colonies started writing their own constitutions
– Starting in mid 1750’s, home rule began to be limited.• Restraining Act of 1775• Intolerable Acts of 1774• Strained relationship between colonies and Great Britain!