Unit 2: Limited Government and Unlimited Government in Europe in the 17 th and 18 th Centuries Standard 7-2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of limited government and unlimited government as they functioned in Europe in the 17 th and 18 th centuries.

Standard Analyze the characteristics of limited government and unlimited government that evolved in Europe in the 1600s and 1700s.

Limited and Unlimited Government During the 1600s and 1700s, monarchies, or governments led by kings and queens, ruled most of Europe. Monarchs liked the system of absolutism, which places total or absolute power in the hands of the ruler and his or her advisors. Monarchs believed in divine right, or the idea that rulers receive their power directly from God.

Limited and Unlimited Government Limited government-a government with limits placed on the power and authority of government. EXAMPLE: USA Unlimited government-no ability to limit the actions of the government; no individual rights and freedoms; citizens should TOTALLY obey the government. EXAMPLE: HITLER’S GERMANY

How to create a limited government There are ways to restrain (limit) the power of government: – Constitutionalism (establish a “rulebook”) – Democracy (give people the authority to control the government) – Separation of powers (3 branches of government—legislative, executive, judicial)

Louis XIV and Peter the Great

Examples of Unlimited Government in France and Russia France and Russia had an unlimited government when the Glorious revolution occurred. The leader of France was Louis XIV (14 th ) The leader of Russia was Peter I (Peter the Great) All of the power in these 2 countries were in the hands of the king/queen. The people in France and Russia had no rights.

France and Russia France and Russia displayed unlimited authority by: – Raising taxes – Dissolving (eliminating) the legislative/law-making body – Using the military to enforce policies

Standard Explain the effects of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution on the power of the monarchy in England and on limited government.

English Civil War King James I was an absolute monarch in England who believed in divine right. After he died, his son Charles I became king of England and tried to be an absolute monarch. In 1628, English Parliament, or the representatives who spoke for the people, passed the Petition of Rights that banned the king from passing taxes with Parliament’s agreement, forcing people to allow troops to stay in their homes, and imprisoning a person without charges.

English Civil War Charles ignored the Petition of Rights and supported only Catholics. Oliver Cromwell organized an army representing Parliament. He was a Puritan. The English Civil War was between the King’s army and Parliament’s army. Parliament won the war and took full control of the government.

English Civil War Charles I was tried and executed. The Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, set up a commonwealth, or a government ruled by elected representatives. The commonwealth failed, so the military took over. The monarchy was later restored, with Charles I’s son, Charles II, taking over. This was called the Restoration.

The Glorious Revolution Charles II died, leaving no children. His catholic brother, James II, took over. James II and his second wife (a Catholic) had a son and Parliament feared that a Catholic monarchy would return to England. Parliament asked James II’s Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William to take the throne. William ruled the Netherlands.

England and the Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution occurred in England when William and Mary came to the throne. Before these leaders, England had an absolute monarchy (king/queen held all of the power). William and Mary had a constitutional monarchy (monarchy limited by a constitution). Their power was limited by the English Bill of Rights. William and Mary had to obey Parliament (the legislative/law-making body of England)

William and Mary

Standard Analyze the Enlightenment ideas of John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Voltaire that challenged absolutism and influenced the development of limited government.

The Enlightenment The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 17 th and 18 th centuries (1600s-1700s). It sought to apply reason to understand everything. Reason is just thinking things through to understand something. Politics was one of the areas where reason was used.

The Enlightenment State of nature-imagining life without government Social contract-idea that government was created as an agreement (contract) between the government and the people. All of the Enlightenment philosophers applied these ideas in different ways.

John Locke

Lived in England Considered one of the great political philosophers of the Enlightenment “Life, liberty, right to own property” Influenced by the Glorious Revolution Saw the state of nature as a good place and a social contract as a “voluntary” agreement.

John Locke If the government didn’t protect the rights of the people (broke the social contract), then Locke said the people had a right to “break the contract” by eliminating the current government and creating a new one. Locke influenced Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence-”life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Lived in France Same ideas as Locke about the state of nature, but different about the role of government. Rousseau said society was corrupting the people and it was the government’s job to protect the “general will” or majority of the people. Rousseau rejected some Enlightenment ideas, such as reason.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Government had to create policies that benefitted the majority of the people. American colonists didn’t like Rousseau. He didn’t like the idea of private property, which goes against the beliefs of most limited governments.

Baron de Montesquieu

Lived in France Promoted the ideas of separation of powers and checks and balances. 3 branches of government – Legislative-law making (Congress, Parliament) – Executive-signs bill into law; enforces law (President, King) – Judicial-Courts; makes sure laws are Constitutional; interprets laws (Supreme Court)

Baron de Montesquieu Separation of Powers: 3 separate branches of government that have different roles Checks and balances: each branch has equal powers that “check” each other Montesquieu admired the English system of limited government. These ideas of separation of powers and checks and balances were not originally Montesquieu’s, but he is given credit for making them popular. These ideas are part of the U.S. Constitution.

Voltaire Voltaire was a French philosopher during the Enlightenment. He was known for his strong dislike of the Catholic Church and he blamed Church leaders for keeping knowledge from people to maintain their power. He opposed supporting one religion and forbidding others.

Voltaire Voltaire thought that people should be free to choose their own beliefs. He was a supporter of deism, or a religion based on reason. Voltaire’s beliefs support the modern day idea of the separation of church and state.

Standard Explain how the Enlightenment influenced the American and French revolutions leading to the formation of limited forms of government, including the relationship between people and their government, the role of constitutions, the characteristics of shared powers, the protection of individual rights, and the promotion of the common good.

Inspiration for the American Revolution The American Revolution was inspired by John Locke’s beliefs. Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, was influenced by John Locke’s writings. The success of the American Revolution was a model for the people of France. After the American Revolution, the United States established a limited government.

Inspiration for the French Revolution The French Revolution was inspired by the Enlightenment and the American Revolution. The Enlightenment presented new beliefs about authority and the role of the individual in government. John Locke wrote about the rights of “life, liberty, and property” and he said a government must protect these rights. If the government doesn’t protect these rights, it is the right of the people to overthrow the government.

Constitutions A constitution is the law which establishes the structure and operation of government and details the relationship of the people to their government. Written Constitution-single written document like the U.S. Constitution Unwritten Constitution-collection of traditions, documents, and laws like the U.K. Constitution

Constitutions Constitutions are very important because the help the government to run smoothly! They address many issues, but they mainly… – Provide the framework for the operation of the 3 branches of government – Establish the relationship between the national government and the regional governments (state, local) – Define relationship of government to the citizens and the rights of citizens

Positive/Negative Constitution Positive Constitution-centers on the roles and responsibilities that a government is to perform Negative Constitution-focuses on the limits placed upon the government (U.S. Constitution)

How Constitutions work around the world… A government can have a written constitution, but not follow it. The former Soviet Union is an example of this. The U.S. had the 1 st written constitution and helped set the foundations for what a constitution should be like. Many of the ideas in the U.S. Constitution were based on the traditions of the unwritten English/British Constitution.

Magna Carta being signed…

Magna Carta The idea that a government should be based on what the general will wants first occurred when King John signed the Magna Carta, or Great Charter. It said the king was not above the law.

Different Forms of Government Here are 3 different types of government: 1.Autocracy-power is in the hands of a single leader and his/her advisers (ex: Absolute Monarchies in France and Russia in the 1600s/1700s). 2.Oligarchy-a small group holds power (ex: communist governments, like China) 3.Democracy-the people hold power though voting (ex: Great Britain and the USA)

Different Forms of Government An autocracy or oligarchy may have a constitution, but the people have no power to limit the government. The government decides the outcome of elections. Basically, the Constitutions are just pieces of paper. In democracies, governments are not above the law. The Constitutions are living documents. The people may change the government if it doesn’t work. 1.vote/run for election 2.Pass new laws 3.Amend constitution 4.Appeal to the courts

Standard Explain how the scientific revolution challenged authority and influenced Enlightenment philosophers, including the importance of the use of reason, the challenges to the Catholic Church, and the contributions of Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton.

The Roots of the Scientific Revolution A revolution is a sweeping change. The Scientific Revolution took place during the late 1500s and early 1600s. It began because of advances in science and math. The most significant advances were in astronomy, or the study of the universe. After exploration, new truths and new research challenged previous thought processes and studies.

Ptolemy and Copernicus

Geocentric Theory

The Roots of the Scientific Revolution As scientists gained more and more evidence on different things, they began to question ancient theories and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Ptolemy believed that the earth was the center of the universe and all of the other planets as well as the sun revolved around the earth. This was called the geocentric theory. Nicolaus Copernicus believed in a heliocentric theory. He said that the sun was the center of the universe, and all of the planets revolved around the sun.

Galileo and Newton

The Roots of the Scientific Revolution Galileo Galilei supported the heliocentric theory. He studied the planets carefully using an advanced telescope and wrote many books supporting the heliocentric theory. Isaac Newton developed the laws of gravity and laws of motion. He used reason and the scientific method to make many important discoveries.

Bacon and Descartes

The Scientific Method The Scientific Method was a major contribution to the scientific revolution. This method was a procedure for testing theories. Step 1: Form a question Step 2: Form a hypothesis, or educated guess Step 3: Test Step 4: Analyze data to form a conclusion Step 5: Communicate the data Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes used experimentation and reason to contribute (develop) the scientific method.

Conflicts Between Science and Religion The theories and books that were published during the scientific revolution led to a huge conflict with the Catholic Church. The Bible, as interpreted by the Roman Catholic Church, was the authority for society. The teachings of the church were based on faith and revelation, and the church felt that science was challenging their teachings.

Conflicts Between Science and Religion With the publishing of these new scientific theories, most importantly the heliocentric theory, the teachings of the church was called into question. For the church, their authority was on the line (meaning, people would trust science now, and no longer see the church as the most powerful authority).

Conflicts Between Science and Religion Galileo was put on trial for heresy, or going against the teachings of the church. He was found guilty and forced to take back his beliefs on the heliocentric view of the universe. He was placed on house arrest. If scientists committed heresy and they didn’t take back their beliefs, they were excommunicated (or kicked out) of the church.