DEMOCRACY BEFORE AMERICA What were those guys thinking?

Age of Enlightenment Dictionary definition… the state of having knowledge or understanding: the act of giving someone knowledge or understanding ( History definition… a philosophical, intellectual and cultural movement of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It stressed reason, logic, criticism and freedom of thought over dogma, blind faith and superstition. (europeanhistory.about.com)

Influences from Ancient Athens Ancient Greece was organized as independent city-states demos kratia – “government by the people” 500 – 400 BC Athens became a direct democracy citizens could vote and were expected to serve developed rules for citizenship: free men of Athens who owned property

Influences from Ancient Rome 509 BC ancient Rome created a republic form of government in a republic, citizens elect representatives who make the laws and run the government in the name of the people developed bicameralism: patricians could vote for the Senate plebeians could vote for the Assembly

Influences from England 11th to 13th century England: absolute monarchy (total power of royals) nobles resented the absolute power of the royals serfs had no political power at all 1215 AD King John signed the Magna Carta listed the rights and duties of royals and nobles England became a limited monarchy Parliament - a council of advisors to the royals

Influences from England English Common Law – traditional Middle Ages rules that were applied to most of the people 1689 AD William and Mary signed the English Bill of Rights no taxes without Parliament’s consent Parliament makes the laws of England voters elect representatives to Parliament members of Parliament have Freedom of Speech no cruel and unusual punishments

Influences from England s English colonists in America expected certain rights: trial by jury freedom of speech freedom of religion no search or seizure without a warrant

Influences from European Social Contract Theorists Thomas Hobbes ( ), English Wrote Leviathan people are basically like animals… nasty, brutish, selfish, etc. To improve life, people gave up some sovereignty (freedom) in exchange for some security (safety) Developed the “contract theory” of government government exists because the people agree to let the government rule them

Influences from European Social Contract Theorists John Locke ( ), English Wrote Second Treatise of Government tabula rasa – people are influenced by their physical and social environment people had the right to “life, liberty, and the ownership of property” people have rights…including the right to dissolve an abusive government influenced writers of the Declaration of Independence

Influences from European Social Contract Theorists Montesquieu ( ), French Wrote The Spirit of Laws best government was a limited government government must follow its own laws government must provide for its people said power should be divided between branches of government prevents one person or group of persons from having too much power influenced the writers of the Constitution

Influences from European Social Contract Theorists Jean-Jacques Rousseau ( ), Swiss-French Wrote The Social Contract expanded the contract theory people make a contract between each other…not with a ruler people choose to create a government so that life will be orderly and peaceful people choose to participate in their government government should respond to the general will of society…popular sovereignty

DEMOCRACY BEFORE AMERICA THAT’s what those guys were thinking?