World History: Review Questions

What impact did the English common law have on the United States?

Common law later spread to many English-speaking countries, and became the basis legal systems in the United States.

What were the main achievements of the Glorious Revolution?

English citizens were guaranteed the rule of law, parliamentary government, individual liberties, and a constitutional monarchy.

Why has the idea of democracy survived over thousands of years, despite efforts to prevent it?

Every person has their own idea of how they should be ruled and many come to reason that not everyone can have their way so they meet in the middle. They make decisions by voting, voicing their ideas through a democracy. Like Voltaire's social contract a person will give up their freedom to be safe, be under a government, to be governed.

What was England's legacy to democracy?

Glorious Revolution and the bill of rights. English citizens were guaranteed the rule of law, parliamentary government, individual liberties, and a constitutional monarchy. The Bill of Rights also set an example for England's American colonists when they considered grievances against Britain nearly 100 years later. These legal and political developments, along with the ideas of the Enlightenment, would give rise to democratic revolutions in America and France in the late 18th century

Why is Cleisthenes generally considered the found.er of Athenian democracy?

He introduced further reforms to the Athenian government. Reorganized the assembly to balance the power of the rich and poor, increased the power of the assembly by allowing all citizens to submit laws for debate and passage, and created the Council of 500. The Council proposed laws and counseled the assembly. Council members were chosen at random from among the citizens.

Identify the Enlightenment ideas that influenced American government.

Locke's idea: governments are created by the people to protect their rights Advocated by Rousseau: ensured that the power to govern rested with the people Based off of Montesquieu's writings: the separation of powers, power was divided among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Which Enlightenment idea contributed most to the democratic revolutions in America? Why? Make sure to explain your answer.

I believe that Locke's idea of natural rights contributed to the democratic revolutions in America the most because what the American people wanted the most was liberty. It was blatantly stated in Locke's idea of natural rights, that all human beings had, by nature, the right to life, liberty, and property. Not only that but Locke also said that people had an absolute right to rebel against a government that violated or failed to protect their rights. Many of the colonist had felt wronged by the British government resulting in the revolution or their rebellion as stated in Locke's comment.

How does an indirect democracy differ from a direct democracy?

In a direct democracy people rule themselves and make their own governmental decisions whereas in a republic the people elect or have representatives that make the governmental decisions for them.

How did the principle of rule by law, as implied in the Magna Carta, limit the power of the king?

It implied the idea that monarchs had no right to rule in any way they pleased. They had to govern according to the law.

What were natural rights?

Rights that all human beings had, by nature, the right to life, liberty, and property.

How did Rome influence the development of democracy in the Western world?

Rome gave the world the idea of a republic, adopted from the Greeks the notion that an individual is a citizen in a state rather than the subject of a ruler, the idea of its written legal code, and the idea that this code should be applied equally and impartially to all citizens.

What was Rousseau's idea of government?

Rousseau advocated democracy, and called the social contract an agreement among free individuals to create a government that would respond to the people's free will.

What are the four basic principles of Roman law?

The 4 basic principles of Roman law was that: all citizens had the right to equal treatment under the law, they were innocent until proven guilty, the burden of proof rested in the accuser, and unfair laws could be set aside.

What important legal practice dates back to Henry II?

The jury trial and common law. In courts, the accused would have to survive a duel or some physically painful or dangerous ordeal to be set free. With Henry's reform, a royal judge would visit each shire/county, at least once a year. First, the judge would review the crime that had been committed. Then he would ask 12 men, often neighbors of the accused, to answer questions about the facts of the case. These people were known as a jury. Unlike modern juries, they did not decide guilt or innocence. People came to prefer the jury trial to the feudal-court trial because they found it more just. Legal decisions made by royal justices were used as precedents in new cases. Gradually, England was unified under a single legal system. This was called "common law" because it was common to the whole kingdom. Common law reflected customs and principles established over time.

How did the writers of the U.S. Constitution adapt the political theories of the Enlightenment?

The writers of the US Constitution adapted many ideas from the Enlightenment period into the US Constitution such as: the idea advocated by Rousseau, ensuring power to govern rested with people, the idea of Separation of powers based on Montesquieu, the natural rights of life and liberty, and also other ideas from the Enlightenment period also.