The Foundations of America
Written: December 2014.
Prompt: Which philosophical and historical foundation most influenced the American political system?
Everything that happens does so because it is part of a causal chain, a chain that stretches back to the very beginning of time. The American political system is no exception. Three historical foundations or causes of said system were the English Bill of Rights, the system of thought established by John Locke, and Baron de Montesquieu and his argument in The Spirit of the Laws. Montesquieu takes pride of place as the most influential of the three.
But even weak foundations deserve analysis. The English Bill of Rights impressed itself on the Framers as they developed the American political system. For example, the outcry for a Bill of Rights to be added to the first draft of the Constitution is best explained from its English counterpart, for two reasons. First, there is no comparatively simple explanation for this outcry besides knowledge of the English Bill of Rights. Second, the fact that said Bill stems from America's mother country, Britain, reinforces this conclusion. Moreover, the very layout of the English Bill of Rights is similar to the Declaration of Independence, implying that the latter drew from the former. Both include long, drawn out statements of the failures and foibles of their respective leaders. Specifically, both reprimand the king for "raising and keeping a standing army...in time of peace without consent of" (Eng. Bill., cl., 7) the standing legislature. Finally, clear textual parallels exist between the English and American Bill of Rights. In addition to the above example, both state "[t]hat excessive bail ought not be required...nor...cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" (Eng. Bill., cl., 27, and U.S. Con. 8th Amendment). This is again best explained by dependence of the former on the latter.
Not only documents, but systems of thought as well, can found a political system. John Locke gave to the Founding Fathers a philosophical framework on which to build a government. By way of example, Locke's view of natural rights (life, liberty, and property) is paraphrased in the Declaration of Independence. In it, Jefferson writes that "[w]e...are endowed...with certain unalienable Rights...[and] among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (cl. 2). Similarly, Locke's idea of a social contract is found in the Declaration as well. Governments "secure [the people's] rights" (cl. 2) and the people give their "consent" (cl. 2) to the government to be ruled by them. Finally, Locke held that all men are equal, and, indeed, as the Declaration says, "all men are created equal" (cl. 2). All things considered, then, Locke influenced the foundation of the American political system.
While Locke provided the purpose of government, Montesquieu provided the structure. He gave to the Fathers a structural framework to build a political system on. Indeed, in The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu argued that a democratic republic, a government elected by the people, was the best form of government. The Framers agreed. They wrote that "[t]he House of Representatives shall be...chosen by the people" (Con., Art. 1., Sec. 2), among other elected offices (e.g., the President, Senate, etc.). Further, Montesquieu's proposal for three separate branches of government (i.e., a legislative, judicial, and executive branch) is found outlined in the first three articles of the Constitution. It is unlikely that the Framers came up with this model of government independently. Third, the idea of checks and balances (each branch of government having power over the other two) comes directly from Montesquieu. Under the Constitution, for example, the President (i.e., executive branch) appoints judges to the Supreme Court, and Congress (i.e., legislative branch) can impeach those judges (i.e., judicial branch). So it seems Montesquieu must be admitted a cause of the American political system as well.
In summary, Baron de Montesquieu, John Locke, and the English Bill of Rights are each foundations of the American political system, but only Montesquieu may be called the most influential foundation. When one looks closely, all the United States really gained from the English Bill of Rights was a general outline for the Declaration and a few borrowed lines here and there in the Constitution. John Locke, though providing a philosophical "support system" on which the government was to be built, said nothing by way of how to go about building such a government. Montesquieu provided the meat and potatoes of the American political system, the very structure of its government. He gave it three branches, and checks and balances to each branch. He, then, is the most influential foundation, the major cause, as it were, of the United States of America.
Prompt: Which philosophical and historical foundation most influenced the American political system?
Everything that happens does so because it is part of a causal chain, a chain that stretches back to the very beginning of time. The American political system is no exception. Three historical foundations or causes of said system were the English Bill of Rights, the system of thought established by John Locke, and Baron de Montesquieu and his argument in The Spirit of the Laws. Montesquieu takes pride of place as the most influential of the three.
But even weak foundations deserve analysis. The English Bill of Rights impressed itself on the Framers as they developed the American political system. For example, the outcry for a Bill of Rights to be added to the first draft of the Constitution is best explained from its English counterpart, for two reasons. First, there is no comparatively simple explanation for this outcry besides knowledge of the English Bill of Rights. Second, the fact that said Bill stems from America's mother country, Britain, reinforces this conclusion. Moreover, the very layout of the English Bill of Rights is similar to the Declaration of Independence, implying that the latter drew from the former. Both include long, drawn out statements of the failures and foibles of their respective leaders. Specifically, both reprimand the king for "raising and keeping a standing army...in time of peace without consent of" (Eng. Bill., cl., 7) the standing legislature. Finally, clear textual parallels exist between the English and American Bill of Rights. In addition to the above example, both state "[t]hat excessive bail ought not be required...nor...cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" (Eng. Bill., cl., 27, and U.S. Con. 8th Amendment). This is again best explained by dependence of the former on the latter.
Not only documents, but systems of thought as well, can found a political system. John Locke gave to the Founding Fathers a philosophical framework on which to build a government. By way of example, Locke's view of natural rights (life, liberty, and property) is paraphrased in the Declaration of Independence. In it, Jefferson writes that "[w]e...are endowed...with certain unalienable Rights...[and] among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (cl. 2). Similarly, Locke's idea of a social contract is found in the Declaration as well. Governments "secure [the people's] rights" (cl. 2) and the people give their "consent" (cl. 2) to the government to be ruled by them. Finally, Locke held that all men are equal, and, indeed, as the Declaration says, "all men are created equal" (cl. 2). All things considered, then, Locke influenced the foundation of the American political system.
While Locke provided the purpose of government, Montesquieu provided the structure. He gave to the Fathers a structural framework to build a political system on. Indeed, in The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu argued that a democratic republic, a government elected by the people, was the best form of government. The Framers agreed. They wrote that "[t]he House of Representatives shall be...chosen by the people" (Con., Art. 1., Sec. 2), among other elected offices (e.g., the President, Senate, etc.). Further, Montesquieu's proposal for three separate branches of government (i.e., a legislative, judicial, and executive branch) is found outlined in the first three articles of the Constitution. It is unlikely that the Framers came up with this model of government independently. Third, the idea of checks and balances (each branch of government having power over the other two) comes directly from Montesquieu. Under the Constitution, for example, the President (i.e., executive branch) appoints judges to the Supreme Court, and Congress (i.e., legislative branch) can impeach those judges (i.e., judicial branch). So it seems Montesquieu must be admitted a cause of the American political system as well.
In summary, Baron de Montesquieu, John Locke, and the English Bill of Rights are each foundations of the American political system, but only Montesquieu may be called the most influential foundation. When one looks closely, all the United States really gained from the English Bill of Rights was a general outline for the Declaration and a few borrowed lines here and there in the Constitution. John Locke, though providing a philosophical "support system" on which the government was to be built, said nothing by way of how to go about building such a government. Montesquieu provided the meat and potatoes of the American political system, the very structure of its government. He gave it three branches, and checks and balances to each branch. He, then, is the most influential foundation, the major cause, as it were, of the United States of America.
https://msuweb.montclair.edu/~furrg/spl/beard-sparks.pdf
ReplyDelete