Foundations of American Government Classical Liberalism freedom of

Foundations of American Government

Classical Liberalism freedom of the individual and the role of government to protect that freedom liberating the individual from the oppressive restraints of feudalism and monarchial rule idea of the social contract = people give up some of their independence for safety and peace John Locke, Two Treatises on Government (1689) : 1) government’s duty is to protect peoples’ right to property; if it fails, they have the right to replace the government 2) divided power, rule of law, and consent of the people Characteristics of Classical Liberalism: 1) unrestrained behavior and motivations of individuals are usually positive 2) individual self-determination is more important than societal good 3) duty of government to protect and encourage economic development 4) reason is more important than faith or tradition

Classical Republicanism representative democracy (where people elect individuals to represent them in government’s affairs) as the most effective decision-making process civic virtue, the subordination of individualism to the interests of society, to be practiced by both the people and government officials power in the hands of representative government should be divided and balanced to restrain the use of necessary power Characteristics of Republicanism: 1) a virtuous citizenry is necessary – self-sacrificing people devoted to the general good of the community 2) property ownership and controlling the product of your labor marks the freedom and independence of participants 3) foundation of government is the consent of the people, but where the masses cannot directly control systems of power (views of the people will be “filtered” through their representatives) 4) the rights of all individuals must be protected

Tradition of Exclusion (inegalitarianism) the traditional denial of participation in a system of liberal and republican ideals to large segments of the population incomplete application of the logical ends of Enlightenment principles of equality = limits set by deep-seated hierarchies of religion and tradition (gender, race, ethnicity, religion); political philosophy clashing with fundamental social, cultural, and philosophical systems and institutions held by peoples throughout history practical compromises justified by limiting the scope of “citizen” based on some of the ideals of liberalism and republicanism (need to preserve property; need for civic virtue and “independence”; danger of power in the wrong hands; danger of irresponsible masses; need to protect minorities and individual rights) partial (or limited) embracing of the enlightenment satisfied the needs of non-aristocratic middle class trying to overthrow monarchy

groups restricted when the United States was founded: 1) Women – deep-seated patriarchal social and cultural practices subordinated women in all areas in European Tradition; accepted interpretations of Christianity (the dominant religious belief system) and its moral practice strongly supported this subordination; legal concept of “coverture” connected a woman’s civic identity to her father and then her husband on whom she was dependent 2) Blacks -- The defense of Christendom from the “otherness” of those who did not share their religion, culture, morality, or skin color was central to European identity; Blacks (because of perceived phenotypes) outside of Christendom were extreme examples of “others; ” issues of labor forced an incorporation of blacks into European and American society for economic reasons; social and political classification at the heart of legal chattel slavery allowed their “otherness” to be reinforced even as they interacted with whites.

3) Native Americans – the “otherness” of Native Americans was less about perceived phonotype as it was about culture and religion, which were considered to be savage and uncivilized. The project of Christendom was to spread the belief in the one true religion and its related moral and civilized social and cultural practices (at least how Christianity had been set into European contexts). Native Americans were cultivated as economic trade partners, as military allies, and early on as slaves; bur they were generally excluded from white society. pagans (non-Christians), women and non-whites needed to be governed as subjects or second-class citizens and excluded from the direct participation in the political life of the nation; white women were fully integrated, blacks partially integrated into white society, and Indians excluded white Christian men were independent (owners of property), were sufficiently intelligent and civilized, could responsibly reflect civic virtue and disinterestedness, and demonstrated a full morality as reflective of true and full Christians; unpropertied white males (not sufficiently independent in relation to property) and white women were not allowed to vote or hold office, but were considered full citizens