Foundations Of Government of American Democracy | Excelsior Classes
American democracy was influenced by historical concepts and events that were in place when it was first established.
The United States of America has a unique story of origin in the sense that its founding was both an experiment and it was an obligation. When European colonists first began arriving in North America and creating colonies that were thriving, a radical shift in the human mind was occurring in Europe. This change included new strategies for the organization of the political system as well as religious views and a focus on tolerance as well as a revival in republican thinking as well as leaps in science advancements among other things.
When British dominance over American colonies started to enslave the population and impose the people who were at the front of the scene determined to implement the new ideas that were afloat upon American shores and put them into action by establishing an entirely new state. This state, the United States of America, even though it is a relatively new country has experienced a series of drastic transformations over its nearly 200 decades of history. From slavery to Civil War and World War 2 to becoming the only superpower on earth at the close at end of the century its history has changed for the better or more, pushing past the Enlightenment Age ideas that birthed it beyond what was possible when it was first established as a sovereign nation.
Unfortunately, the United States of America has been a victim of horrific crimes like colonialism, slavery, and the extermination of the indigenous peoples of North America. At the opposite end of the same spectrum, the United States of America has had a record of success that was unmatched up to this century. From putting human beings on the moon to leading the founding of the United Nations at the close of World War 2, The United States has a rich background that is worth studying and it all begins with the base!
Foundations of American Democracy Definition
The Foundations Of Government are the ideals and principles which form the Government Foundations.
Foundations of American Democracy Review
American democracy was influenced by historical concepts and events that were in place when it was first established. The ideas that emerged from the Enlightenment led those who fought for their independence and establish a new nation that was based on democracy.
Enlightenment Ideals
A lot of concepts that led to those who fought the American Revolution came out of the Age of Enlightenment
The Enlightenment period lasted from the mid-17th century until the mid-19th century. It marked a shift away from the focus on religion and the church offering answers to questions about life, and focusing on reason, science, and human abilities.
The concept of Humanism was gaining momentum during the Renaissance period and led to advances in the fields of science, art, and even philosophy. The Enlightenment was when those ideas became the basis for people to question the notions of the Foundations Of Government and politics.
The Social Contract
The Social Contract speaks to the notion that there is an invisible, unspoken contract between the officials and those who are governed. The basic idea is that the people who run the country regardless of whether they are president, king, or legislators, are entitled to exercise their authority due to the agreement of the governed. People will be willing to give authority on behalf of the state in return for benefits such as safety, welfare, and infrastructure. However should the Government Foundations break its social agreement, people are entitled to protest at the top of their lungs against the Foundations Of Government.
John Locke touched on the notions of social contracts in the pages of his Two Treatises on Government Foundations, which were written by him during the Glorious Revolution when the people of England defeated King James. The concept of "social contract" wasn't coined until Jean-Jacques-Rousseau's book Le Contrat Social (The Social Contract) in 1762.
Natural Rights
The concept that there were Natural Rights also gained importance in the Enlightenment period. Before that point, there was no real sense of any kind of "right" or entitled to them. The protection came from having an income or status. The concept of Natural Rights stipulated that everyone regardless of standing or wealth had the right to the same rights. This also implied that nobody could be able to take away those rights. Philosophers such as John Locke talked about the right to life, liberty, and property.
Limited Government
The Enlightenment was a time when people began to become discontent with tyrannical rulers who misused their power and treated their citizens badly. Monarchs rely on the notion of"the "divine right" to rule to justify their authority. When people began to take away some of the power of the monarchy through institutions such as parliament, they began to put a premium on the limited power of the Foundations Of Government. This also meant there would be consequences in the event that the ruler or official misused their authority.
Popular Sovereignty
The concept that there was Popular Sovereignty also grew during the Enlightenment. Popular Sovereignty refers to the notion that Government Foundations are subordinate to the wishes of the people. The ultimate authority of the Foundations Of Government is derived from the people and not God or an aristocratic affluent class.