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Thomas Jefferson's Arguments Against The Purpose Of The Government

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Thomas Jefferson stated that the purpose of our government is to "secure our rights to life, liberty, and happiness." I agree with his views due to him supporting the idea that a government should work towards creating an environment where its citizens can live in peace but also be motivated to contribute to its economy to create a stable yet guaranteed utopia. One of the government's main concerns should be its citizens' happiness, meaning it cares for their individual wellbeing and rights. Jefferson agreed that the government being strong would make them secure "economically and military" wise, but feared that a government that is too strong would restrict citizens' rights. I agree with this due to the prior ruling of the king having a past of restricting rights, with no other example of a government its no wonder people of the time feared a strong central government, but due to its …show more content…

I believe that this idea is very reasonable in that it enables our government to not be strong enough like the previous king was, but also not be weak enough to make the same mistakes the articles of confederation did. Jefferson's views that the "influence over government must be shared among all the people" supports his idea on protecting the rights of American citizens. While the government's main role may appear to be to ensure national security physically and economically, I feel that the government's main concern should be the happiness and rights of its people. Jefferson agrees with this view, talking about how "every American should have the right to prevent the government from infringing on the liberties of its citizens." During Jefferson's presidency he was very vocal and active in preserving the rights of every single American citizen but also at the same time preserving their

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“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny,” said Thomas Jefferson, who believed in strict constitutional interpretation, a simple republican society, and the opposition of a powerful, centralized government. Opposed to Hamiltonian visions such as an industrialized nation, a powerful centralized government, the U.S Bank, high tariffs, and an approbation towards the white collar or upper class, Jefferson proposed ideals of agrarianism, a weak centralized government allowing more power to the individual, a miniscule standing army, and an approbation towards the blue collar or working class. Though Jefferson proposed many of these ideas, he was not able to act on many of them throughout his presidency. Due to certain circumstances dealing with war, the Embargo Act, and other urgencies during his presidency, Jefferson was forced into leading a more powerful, centralized government, contesting with his original hopes for the nation.

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337 Words | 2 Pages

Thomas Jefferson was a pioneer on the topic of church and state and how those two things have no power over the other in any way, shape, or form. Jefferson explains this when he mentions “Almighty God hath created the mind free, and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint.” Jefferson believes that God created us to be free of everything, including religion. That is why Jefferson didn’t want to give up that freedom even to the government he was so strongly a part of. Jefferson then goes on to talk about how it is extremely wrong when a church forces a man to support or change his personal views just because of an outside source, Jefferson even calls it “tyrannical” some of the methods that the church had to gain control of people.

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“That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” (Jefferson 120). This man believed the same as hobbes, that there needed to be something to control and regulate what was needed for a population to live

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Thomas Jefferson depicted his philosophical view of the government through his First Inaugural Address. He calls what is The United States at the time, a rising nation and mentions the honor he feels because he knows the great responsibility it takes to be the president. The people who could vote (at the time) chose him to influence the nation. Through guidance and support, Jefferson wants to obtain, “Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none;” He can see the potential in the early United States and desired a bright future for it.

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They believed that ensuring the states’ rights is the only way America could protect their freedom and democracy. They were inherently suspicious of centralized power, and worried that the Federalists were too sympathetic to the British model of government. Jeffersonians viewed the Federalists as crypto-monarchists who were secretly vying for the U.S. to go back to being controlled by the British monarchy. Thomas Jefferson on the extreme end of the spectrum of those who supported stronger states’ rights: he was in favor of taking away any control that the federal government had. During his presidency, Jefferson continuously fought against and tried to destroy the central bank, as he believed that the institution was corrupting the American economy.

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Jefferson strongly opposed the idea of a National Bank. His first argument against the idea of a National Bank was it give too much power for a centralized government. Jefferson felt a decentralized government would allow decisions to the states to take care of their own local business. Second, Jefferson believed the principles set forth by the Constitution was to create a a decentralized government in which the states would carry out the laws which were created by the government.

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government. Another reason why Jefferson would be a better president than Adams would be because of his reasoning that the people should have the rights to elect their executive and legislative branch, but also decide by jury themselves. Jefferson thought this because without having the right of the people to vote in their government would make the government be too much like a monarchy. To prevent the government to be like a monarch he proposed a right that ,”all power is inherited in the people: that they may exercise it themselves, in all cases to which they think themselves competent, as in electing their functionaries executive and legislative, and deciding by jury themselves...that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed. ”(-Jefferson)

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After his election of presidency in 1801, Jefferson started to exercise the power of the national government, which he has opposed before. When Jefferson was presented with hardships, he did not hesitate, to change his views on how the government should have less power. Jefferson saw the nation in the future to be very agricultural, and believe that the common man (Farmers) should have more power. Hypocritical much? Yes, but was it for the good future of the country?

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In this essay written by Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson announces the separation of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain because of their controlling manner over their freedoms and life itself. Throughout his statement, Jefferson begins to mention the start of the nation’s new start and how no man should have to be completely controlled by their government or treated differently when every man should secure all their given rights as a human being. Jefferson then went on to explain that when a government becomes destructive or harmful to it’s people, the people should then completely abolish the government or find a way to alter it to create a new fresh government that is for it’s people, not against.

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With this belief and him being the chief author of the Declaration of Independence, one would expect him to stick to his words, Jefferson encouraged society to allow a weak, small central government to have the U.S. on an understandable power difference, Yet that is not what was done. As the text “What were Jefferson's beliefs about government and state” reveals, “Thomas Jefferson through his correspondence, strongly influenced those advocating for a weaker central government.” To expand, Jefferson believed in a weaker central government to allow power to the people as they are a major part of the U.S. government itself. As the text “Student assess Jefferson Controversial legacy”by Chloe Berlin states “around centralized banking, the Democratic- Republican party tended to revolve on the notion that the government that governs the least governs the most. He argued for small government but doubled the size of the nation by abusing his Presidential authority.”

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762 Words | 4 Pages

In this document, Jefferson declared the need to separate from the British Empire and voiced the opinion of many Americans views about our rights as humans. Additionally, Jefferson believes that God created every man with rights no one can take away, the right to live, the right to freedom, and the right the pursue happiness. Jefferson goes on to argue, that we the people have rights that cannot be taken away and it is the right of the people to abolish such a government, which tries to take away our God given rights. In support of Thomas Jefferson, the ideal government should be designed and ran for the people, and judged by how effectively it secures the rights of the people while promoting happiness and equality. The government is the only foundation that can make our rights of justice, liberty, and equality, become reality.

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897 Words | 4 Pages

Within the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson discusses the simple fact that governments are created to secure the rights of

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853 Words | 4 Pages

•“She was not even listening. She had gotten tired of listening. She knew, as we all knew, what the outcome would be. A white man had been killed during a robbery, and thought two of the robbers had been killed on the spot, one had been captured, and he, too, would have to die” (4). This quote is important because it allows me to understand that Jefferson has to die because he was the only person in the liquor store and was a black man.

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1371 Words | 6 Pages

The American government acts as the beating heart of the body. The heart allows blood to flow throughout the whole system. Without a heart, blood would remain unable to move as a collective whole. Both authority and its citizens must work simultaneously; one cannot function without the other. Jefferson expands upon the symbiotic relationship and reveals the ideal partnership between the people’s rights and the state.

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149 Words | 1 Pages

Without the concern of defense or sell protection,individuals are able to live in security. Jefferson offers the purpose of government. It exists to acid in the well-being of both the nations and it citizen. Government exists to control the lives of citizens. A government must establish

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