1. How Does Government Secure Natural Rights?
LESSON 2
How Does Government Secure Natural Rights?

2. Examining Government Protection Of The Basic Rights Of The People
1. What in your opinion is the main purpose of government?
2. How should government get the authority or right to make laws telling people what they can and cannot do?
3. What should the people have the right to do if their government does not serve the purposes for which it was created? Why should they have this right?
4. Who is to judge if a government has failed?

3. How do Americans Express Consent To Their Government?
The Americans who ratified the Constitution in 1787 gave explicit consent to their new government
Those born in America have given implicit consent by remaining in the nation and living our its laws.
Seek citizenship of another country
Stay in the country accepting its laws, and enjoying its benefits you imply consent to be governed by the federal, state and local government

4. What is Constitutional Government?
Limited Government
Have established and respected restraints on their powers
Unlimited Government
Those who govern are free to use their power as they choose, unrestrained by law
Tyranny, autocracy, dictatorship, and totalitarianism
Which form of government is best suited to prevent the abuse of power?
Constitutional Government
The powers of the government are limited by laws and customs constitution

5. WHAT IS A CONSTITUTION
A set of customs, traditions, rules, and laws that set forth the basics way a government is organized and operated.
They can be in writing or not
Just because a nation has a constitution does not mean that it has a constitutional government
If it gives unlimited power not a constitutional government
If it limits the power but does not include ways to enforce those limitations it is not a constitutional government
In a constitutional government the constitution is a fundamental law that must be obeyed by everyone even those in power (rule of law)

6. How Did The Founders Characterize Higher Law?
They believed that a Constitution should have
Set the basic rights of citizens
Establish the responsibility of the government to protect those rights
Establish the principle of private domain
Establish limits on how those in power use their power with regard
Citizens rights and responsibilities
Distribution of resources
Control of conflict
It can only be changed with widespread consent of the citizens. And with established and well known procedures

7. HOW DOES A CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT PROTECT NATURAL RIGHTS
They assure the rights of their citizens in two ways
Legal protection by establishing limits on the power of the government to prevent it from violating those rights
Organizational protection that is the government is organized and its power is distributed in a way so that limitations will be effective

8. PREVENT THE ABUSE OF POWER
In constitutional governments powers are usually distributed and shared among several branches Why?
Sharing power makes it harder for one branch to miss use or abuse power
Not as likely that one branch could gain enough power that it could ignore the limitations placed on it by the constitution
To prevent our government from abusing its power the framers provided for distribution and sharing of power among 3 branches
Checks and balances