Enlightenment Thinkers
This thinker believed that people are naturally bad, selfish, and focused on survival.
Who was Thomas Hobbes?
This principle states that people are born with rights such as life, liberty, and property.
What are natural rights?
This is an organization people establish to make rules, protect the community, and maintain order.
What is government?
This form of government is ruled by a king or queen, and the position is usually inherited.
What is a monarchy?
This Enlightenment thinker’s ideas about natural rights influenced the Declaration of Independence.
Who was John Locke?
This thinker believed people are born with the natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
Who was John Locke?
This principle means that government gets its power from the people.
What is popular sovereignty?
This theory states that a person or group takes control by force.
What is Force Theory?
In this form of government, citizens vote directly on laws and government decisions.
What is a direct democracy?
This Enlightenment thinker’s ideas influenced the Constitution’s separate branches and system of checks and balances.
Who was Montesquieu?
This thinker wrote The Spirit of Laws and introduced the idea that government power should be divided among branches.
Who was Montesquieu?
This principle divides government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
What is separation of powers?
This theory explains that government develops as families and communities grow over time.
What is Evolutionary Theory?
In this form of government, citizens elect representatives to make laws and decisions for them.
What is a representative democracy?
The statement that government must protect life, liberty, and property reflects this Enlightenment principle.
What are natural rights?
This thinker wrote The Social Contract, which argued that people give up some freedom or power to government in exchange for protection and the common good.
Who was Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
One branch of government rejects or limits an action taken by another branch. This illustrates this principle.
What are checks and balances?
A ruler claims that God created the state and chose the ruler. This claim reflects this theory of government origin.
What is Divine Right Theory?
In this form of government, religious leaders rule or government is based on religious authority.
What is a theocracy?
Citizens elect lawmakers rather than voting directly on every law. This system reflects representative democracy and this principle of government.
What are republicanism?
A government leader argues that citizens should give up nearly all their freedom because life without a strong government would be “nasty, brutish, and short.” This position most closely reflects the ideas of this thinker and this form of government.
Who were Thomas Hobbes and an absolute monarchy?
: A constitution divides government into three branches, while each branch is given ways to limit the actions of the others. Identify both principles at work and explain how they differ.
What are separation of powers and checks and balances? Separation of powers divides government into branches, while checks and balances allow those branches to limit one another.
A community agrees to give up some power and freedom to create a government that provides protection, order, and the common good. Identify the theory and explain why people might accept it.
What is Social Contract Theory? People might accept it because government can provide protection, make and enforce laws, and maintain order.
A country has a king who holds nearly all government power, and citizens do not elect representatives to limit his authority. Identify the form of government and explain how it differs from a limited monarchy.
What is an absolute monarchy? In an absolute monarchy, the ruler holds nearly all power; in a limited monarchy, the ruler’s power is restricted by laws or other governing institutions.
Explain one way Enlightenment ideas influenced either the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution. Include the thinker, the idea, and the founding document connection.
John Locke’s ideas about natural rights influenced the Declaration of Independence. Montesquieu’s ideas about separation of powers influenced the Constitution’s three branches and checks and balances. Other accurate explanations should receive credit.