U2 L14 Citizenship and the Constitution

What did Montesquieu believe were the purpose of government and laws

he concluded that the separation of the executive, legislative, and judicial powers was in the best interests of the people. Democratic and aristocratic states are not in their own nature free. Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments; and even in these it is not always found. It is there only when there is no abuse of power. .

What was Locke's belief about natural law and natural rights?

Locke believed that all people had the same natural rights of life, liberty, and property. Locke states that the primary purpose of government is to protect these natural rights & that governments hold their power only with the consent of the people. Locke's ideas greatly influenced revolutions in America and France.

How do Locke's philosophies relate to a person's role in her government?

Locke's argument was radically different: people not only voluntarily agree to be governed, but possess rights that flow from nature itself, not from kingly decree. Further, the very purpose of government is not to rule but to protect those rights.

Why was the English Bill of Rights created

This document sums up the powers that Parliament had been seeking since the Petition of Right in 1628.

How did this document influence the American Bill of Rights?

Together, these three British documents, Magna Carta, Petition of Right, and the English Bill of Rights, contained the basic tenets of limited government that would come to influence the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.