What Is The Understanding Of John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

An Analysis and understanding of John Locke John Locke was an English philosopher and an absolute juggernaut in his realm of understanding and influence. He is regarded as one of the most influential if not the most influential thinkers of his time. Locke’s perspectives on government, individual freedom, natural rights, and the social contract had and still have a significant impact on the growth and founding of the United States and its ideas. His influence on America is still very prevalent in the realm of political influence and thinking. One of the most important ideas that John Locke presented is the idea of inalienable natural rights. In his second Treatise of Government, Locke argued that all people possess certain inalienable rights

According to Locke, governments are created through a social contract between the people and their rulers; and the power of the government should be limited to the protection of natural rights. The idea of the social contract is reflected in the early adaptations of Federalism. Additionally, the idea of social contracts assumes that all individuals have equal bargaining power, which is not always the case in practice. To mitigate the power of government bodies and other entities there was a system of checks and balances implemented, to prevent any secular branch of government from being too powerful. Locke’s ideas of a social contract between the people and the government were implemented in the practical way of drafting the United States Constitution. For example, the concept of natural rights reflected in the Bill of Rights, which guarantees certain individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The idea of the social contract is reflected in the system of federalism, which provides power between the federal government and the states, and in the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of