Vocabulary - Origins of American Government

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believed in separation of powers in the government

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Baron de Montesquieu

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Who wrote Common Sense and argued that the colonies should govern themselves?

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Thomas Paine

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Who believed that man should have the basic rights of life, liberty, and property?

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John Locke

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three branches of government that were formed so that no one part of the government became too powerful

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separation of powers

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rights that the government cannot take away such as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

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natural rights

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an agreement in which the people agree to give up some freedom in exchange for the government's protection of people's rights

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social contract

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The idea that power of the government can no longer be all-powerful rights and that the government cannot take away such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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limited government

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a system in which the people govern themselves and vote on every matter

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direct democracy

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a type of government in which the people rule by voting whether directly or for those to represent them

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democracy

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a system in which the people choose their leaders to govern themselves - this is the type gov't of the U.S.

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representative democracy