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How Did Thomas Hobbes Influence The Constitution

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When the United States was being founded, the men charged with the creation of this novel system of government drew inspiration from a number of well-known English political philosophers. One of the most overt influences, not merely on the Constitution, but even the Declaration of Independence, was John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government. His depiction of both the State of Nature and its transition into civil society served as the mirror to the American notion and understanding of the purposes of government. Another less discussed but no less intrinsic influence on the founding document came from Thomas Hobbes in his work, Leviathan. Hobbes’ depiction of the role of the sovereign presented a subtle but distinct understanding in the formation …show more content…

This was especially true in the Second Article. The Hobbesian understanding of executive authority became visible most noticeably in the Vesting Clause. The passage began “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America” (Article II, Section 1). When compared with the other two, the Legislative and Judicial grants of authority, the Vesting Clause reads as incredibly vague and general. There was no true definition given in the text as to what “executive Power” actually entailed and thus opened the door for disputes on the range of presidential authority as time passed in the republic. The powers listed in Article II were not “expressly granted” nor was the wording as stringent as in the case of the First Article with its phrase, “all Legislative Powers herein granted…”(Section 1). By wording the section in this manner, the Framers effectively paved the way for a less shackled executive. If the time came when he had to act quickly in the defense and preservation of the Commonwealth and the public good, the President could proceed virtually unimpeded if there was nothing that prohibited his actions directly stated in the Constitution. He had the consent of the people, and in most cases the mandate, at his

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As our nation first formed, there was much concern about the role of our nation’s leader and how powerful they should be. When the Articles of Confederation were written in 1781, it did not provide for an executive branch. In 1787, at the first Constitutional convention, the delegates agreed that there had to be an executive branch which would be separate from the legislative branch. They felt this would avoid any corruption and would provide for checks and balances to prevent dictatorial rule by this branch of government. Though small, the executive branch plays a crucial role in running the United States.

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The government the Articles created had no power to tax, no power to regulate trade, and worst of all, no regulation of domestic affairs in the country. These things are important to have in a centralized power. At the time the government was depending on the good nature of the states to loan them money to repay war debts and to rebuild what was lost. But that was not cutting it. Finally they needed to discuss how and when the President would be elected into office.

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“The accumulation of all powers..in the same hands, whether of one or many (is) the very definition of tyranny.” (James Madison, Federalist Paper #47, 1788) ( Background Essay) This quote explains the reasoning for one of the framers, (B) Separation of Powers. The framers of the constitution were created to prevent tyranny and create a stronger government that would hold the nation together. Tyranny ultimately means harsh, absolute power in the hands of one individual-- like a king or dictator. The constitution guarded against tyranny in 4 ways: (A)Federalism, (B)Separation of Powers, (C)Checks & Balances, and (D)Small State-Large State.

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After a fiercely fought revolution, the newly independent American nation struggled to establish a concrete government amidst an influx of opposing ideologies. Loosely tied together by the Articles of Confederation, the thirteen sovereign states were far from united. As growing schisms in American society became apparent, an array of esteemed, prominent American men united in 1787 to form the basis of the United States government: the Constitution. Among the most eminent members of this convention were Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson. These men, held to an almost godly stature, defined the future of the nation; but were their intentions as honest as they seemed?

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Convinced that extensive authority of the president led to tyranny and oppression, they set unequivocal constitutional restrictions on the executive. Among them, “Jefferson laid the institutional foundation for a limited government” (Appleby 47). Jefferson and the former presidents advocated limited powers for the federal government and set the precedent of a weak and limited role for future presidents. As the nation developed, the barriers led to tensions between Congress, Supreme Court, and the president. Power struggle began in John Adam’s presidency.

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It is understood that John Locke played a key role of influence on Thomas Jefferson. This influence can be seen through Jefferson’s writing on the nation’s founding document. This document is called the Declaration of Independence. John Locke, the English Enlightenment philosopher wrote his Two Treatises of Government to refute the belief that kings ruled by divine right and to support the Glorious Revolution of 1688 (Doc 1). This piece of political philosophy provided many explanations for the people’s rights and obligations to overthrow a corrupt government.

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The Age of Reason is a name used to describe the age that influenced the American Statesmen of the Revolution. Taxes forced upon the colonists by Britain after the French and Indian War enraged the colonists, leading to the Revolution that would change the world forever. Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s The Crisis Number 1 were two very important works of literature during the Revolutionary period. Both works used persuasion effectively.

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They had to find the perfect balance for the executive branch. They could not give them too much power or else there would be an opportunity for tyranny and the possibility of another monarchy, but on the other hand, the branch had to possess enough power to do something and make a change. The problem faced with the articles of confederation was a lack of power and this cannot be fixed with more lack of power. Pinckney said, “How far do you intend to go in reducing the power of the states?” (Page 69).

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The Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branch were created and they all have equal powers. Federalist No. 51 states, “It is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the others … But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others.” The Anti-Federalists believed the executive branch had too much power and that it became a monarch government. Richard Henry Lee's Objections to the Constitution states, “In the new Constitution, the President and Senate have all the executive, and two thirds of the legislative power.

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Ratifying the American Constitution in 1788, was the start of creating an effective national government where more issues arise especially with the Founding Fathers. They believed to govern unified people that possessed virtue and natural aristocracy would govern the country in the public’s interest. However, that did not happen automatically due to the illogicality views of not only the Founding Fathers but the state representatives. There were different opinions on the virtue of men and women, women were supposedly more domestic and men were sophisticated in public. One of the biggest arguments between the Founding Fathers is how the government is run; Republican is supporting a French radical republicanism or Federalists pro-commerce a democracy.

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The United States was built among some of the greatest minds the world had ever seen, and to present times there have been comparably few to ever duplicate their genius. While history likes classifying these men into one unified chunk of American History, the Founding Fathers were actually a conglomerate of diverse thinkers. Some of the men believed in the philosophies of John Locke, who stated that humans were born neither good or bad, but with a blank slate. Many other men followed the human theories of Thomas Hobbes and the religion of Calvin, which viewed mankind a naturally flawed and more susceptible to a state of war. Though not all men agreed, the philosophies of Hobbes was the essential belief system that formed the ground on which

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The first article of the Constitution says "ALL legislative powers...shall be vested in a Congress." The second article then reads "the executive power...in a President." The third article gives the "judicial power of the United States in one Supreme Court" and "in such inferior Courts as the Congress...may establish."

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Two suggestions both originate in the second article involved the presidency. One was to rid of the electoral college and the other to change the way vice presidential candidates are elected. Protecting constitutional rights is a lot more of a complicated idea than figuring out what could be changed in the Constitution. Because the text of the Constitution can often be interpreted in different ways, it is hard to decipher what the rights we exactly have

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John Locke was a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of these leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who was involved with the aid of America and the act gaining independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence and Locke’s views on government contain many similar aspects. These ideas includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (natural rights); the protection that is provided by the government for these rights; and the altering or abolishment of government if it fails to provide and protect the rights of the people.

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