Chapter 1: Principles of Government Section 0.1

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 3 Chapter 1, Section 1 TOPIC POLITICAL THINKERS

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 4 Chapter 1, Section 1 Standard: 12.1 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy. 1. Analyze the influence of ancient Greek, Roman, English, and leading European political thinkers such as John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government. 2. Discuss the character of American democracy and its promise and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 5 Chapter 1, Section 1 Objectives Analyze the influence of John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government. Discuss the promises and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 6 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers Niccolo Machiavelli? –cited examples of mixed government to demonstrate how balancing powers in government discourages tyranny. –best known for his book, The Prince. The book influence the framers of the United States Constitution by suggesting that political power and government could be established without a religious mandate.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 7 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers Charles–Louis Montesquieu, –discussed the separation and balancing of powers in government –In the Constitution, the founding fathers provided for checks and balances to prevent one branch of government from becoming more powerful than the others. –The framers chose to ignore Montesquieu’s idea that executive power could only be exercised by a monarch, not an elected head of state.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 8 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers John Locke, –Profoundly influenced the Founding Fathers of the United States. His writings influenced natural rights philosophy and the development of American government, –Believed life, liberty, and property were "unalienable rights," meaning these rights are not capable of being surrendered or taken away.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 9 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers John Locke, –In Two Treatises of Government, He wrote that government should respect the natural rights of the individual. These rights include life, liberty, and property. –the founding fathers encompassed Locke's philosophy of natural rights in The Bill of Rights –According to Locke government exists only by the consent of the governed and no government can violate or dismiss the basic natural principles of justice.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 10 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers John Locke –He argued that the function of a government is to protect individual rights and is limited in power by popular sovereignty. –Defined a social contract as an agreement between equally free men to create a government that protects individual rights. –Locke’s fundamental principle, natural rights, was clearly illustrated in the Declaration of Independence?

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 11 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers William Blackstone –His work with English common law contribute to the U.S. Constitution –It led constitutional framers to include much of English common law as the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 12 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers Alexis de Tocqueville, –He observed that Americans joined together in forming associations to solve community problems. –He saw the building of civic Associations a unique and promising feature in America.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 13 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers Alexis de Tocqueville, –was convinced that a decentralized democracy was possible for future societies as long as which two conditions were met, civil equality and political equality –America’s strength was in the lack of a strong central government encouraged self–sufficient state and local governments. He Wrote letters about this.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 14 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers Alexis de Tocqueville, –American democracy was being threatened by the impending tyranny of the majority. –A potential threat to the future of American democracy lay in slavery through equality –public opinion in America tended towards tyranny and that majority rule could be just as despotic as any king.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 15 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers Alexis de Tocqueville, "...I know of no other country where love of money has such a grip on men's hearts or where stronger scorn is expressed for the theory of permanent equality of property." –Democracy in America, 1835

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 16 Chapter 1, Section 1 Political Thinkers Alexis de Tocqueville, –America help to illustrate his political theories by valuing equally the state and federal institutions that made up cohesive government. –believe best of European ideas of government were put into use in the American democratic system.