Aristotle s Regime Theory o Regimes can be divided in two ways Short Intro to Democracy rulers of government systems Who rules One Few Many How they rule Rule by One Few Many Correct regime Deviant regime for the common advantage for the advantage of only the rulers Correct regime type Kingship monarchy Aristocracy only rich rule Polity Greek word for regime Deviant regime type Tyranny dictator Oligarchy Democracy majority rule not common rule 2 approaches to Democracy o Aristotle o American Founders Laws should educate citizens to be virtuous Laws and institutions should channel self interest towards the common advantage Can get messy Majority rule The Declaration of Independence Written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by Benjamin Franklin Consists of 3 sets of arguments o Principles for the origin and ends of government Why do we need government What is its purpose What can it and can t it do o Justification for revolution time grievance o Grievances against King George 3 Make up the majority of the Declaration Must be a legitimate reason and has to occur for some time cannot be a one rights human beings cannot give up and retain even when there is Inalienable or natural rights no government in place from the people o Self evident truths men are equal rights given by the Creator government gets power People have the right to abolish government and institute a new one if rights are threatened Founders and Modern Political Philosophy Most influential on the Founders o John Locke strongest influence came up with the right to revolution o Thomas Hobbes very in your face o Jean Jacques Rousseau influential on Jefferson o Montesquieu commercial republic idea o David Hume wrote about many different topics The State of Nature o Hobbes creates the idea of the state of nature in the Leviathan Science of politics State of nature condition of human beings without government o Hobbes and Locke have different conceptions of the state of nature and its fundamental problems Contracts are never able to be State of nature is state of war Promises are not viable without Hobbes beliefs o humans always on the brink of war Equal because humans are o equally able to kill each other to get what desire o power or government o broken Humans have right to all things o they desire and can do whatever it takes to acquire it o justice o o o It is okay to lie He is cenacle of human nature Common power to rule No such thing as injustice or Believed in absolute monarchy o style of government as the best State of nature is self Locke s beliefs o preservation o labor and work not harming others Individuals acquire things through Humans will make partial o judgements that benefit themselves o Everything is a contract State of nature occurs when no o common authority is in place o No right or wrong Right to revolt Optimistic of human nature Legislatures needed to be o o o impartial on judgements o government Believed in democracy style of o Social contracts give up some freedom o Government can still put one in a state of nature o Both men speak of America prior to colonization as being in a state of nature Modern politics is forward looking and looks for practical effects like modern natural science dies o Aims to improve life and make a better world The Articles of Confederation Created in 1781 as a logical response to fear of another tyranny coming into power o Characterized by a weak national government subordinate to states authority o Under Articles No executive or judiciary branch Each state had 1 representative Legislation required approval of 9 of 13 states Super majority Every state had to agree for amendments Congress could not collect taxes States were free to forge their own trade and currencies Made it more like 13 separate countries than united states Problems o Pennsylvania State laws became problems for citizens and they had no one to go to appeal to because states were the most sovereign Legislature passed laws disenfranchising Quakers persecuted conscientious objects and manipulated the judiciary o Shays Rebellion 1787 Group of ex Revolutionary war soldiers forcibly prevented Western MA courts from sitting for months Governor lacked state militia and there was no national militia Governor applied to congress which lacked money and manpower to help Constitution convention came about as a meeting for trade regulation between states o Wanted to revise did not want to create a brand new document The Anti Federalists and Federalists Anti Federalists o Demanded a Bill of Rights to protect liberties for citizens Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the constitution Specific the rights of citizens the national government must respect o Concerned that a strong central national government would threaten self government and state power Federalists o Wanted to keep representatives with a close contact and ability to answer to the voters o Sought to strengthen the national government to make a secure and prosperous union o Aimed to protect state governments and individual liberties through restrictions on the o Were against Bill of Rights because if specific right wasn t stated would not be national government s power protected o Wanted strong trade between US and foreign nations to make them more prosperous Federalist 10 Written by James Madison Father of the Constitution o 2 essential questions Can the new US government endure Is there a viable democratic form of government Faction a majority or minority of citizens sharing a common passion or interest o adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community Oppress the ideas of others Use its own resources to advance disregarding others or at their expense o 2 potential cures for factions Remove the causes Destroy liberty essential to its existence o liberty is to faction what air is to fire o Liberty is essential to political life Giving every citizen the same opinions passions and interests o Impossible o Human beings reason and self love will always drive them towards being factious If you love something or believe in something then you will find a way to get it or pursue it This is also the source of disparities in property Most common and durable source of factions o Opinions and passions mutually influence each other Control effects o Society is made up of individuals and different things Individuals are always partial judges o To alleviate minority faction a majority vote in a republican