1. Essential Question: Why do we need government?
Purpose of Government
Essential Question: Why do we need government?

2. Warm-Up
Think about these questions and discuss your answers with you shoulder buddy.
Do you think life in the state of nature (with no government) would be bad or good? Why?
What might the advantages be to living in a state of nature?
What might the disadvantages be?

3. Natural Rights
Most people in the American colonies believed that everyone had a right to life, liberty, and property.
These rights were called natural rights. (Sometimes these are now called basic rights or fundamental rights.)
The idea of natural rights means that all persons have these rights just because they are human beings. Everyone is born with these rights and they should not be taken away without a person's agreement.

4. Purpose of Government
John Locke was an English philosopher who wrote a book called Two Treatises of Civil Government (1690) that described natural rights.
He said that the main purpose of government should be to protect the people's natural rights.
He also said that kings should not have absolute power, that is, power without limits. They should not be able to deprive people of their natural rights
What “natural rights” do people have in the state of nature? What might happen to these rights?

5. Social Compact
of-american-democracy/modal/v/thomas-hobbes-and-social-contract
Locke argued that people should agree with one another to give up some of their freedom in exchange for protection and security.
They should consent to follow some laws in exchange for the protection that these laws would give them.
This agreement is called a social compact or social contract. In this agreement the people consent to obey the laws created by that government.

6. Forming a Government
Scenario: Imagine finding yourself on a lush, deserted island along with the rest of the students in your school. After a few weeks, it becomes clear that there is absolutely no chance of ever being rescued. It is obvious that the lack of rules is creating tension among the island’s new inhabitants. You decide that a government is needed in order to secure peoples’ rights.