Principles of the constitution
Megan Mathews
Popular sovereignty
The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid basis of THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE. The streams of national power ought to flow immediately from that pure, original fountain of all legitimate authority.”
-Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #22
Separation of powers
“When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty. The same monarch or senate would enact tyrannical laws and execute them in a tyrannical manner."
-Charles de Montesqieu, Spirit of Laws 1748
Republicanism
is the ideology of governing a society or state as a republic (la. res publica), where the head of state is a representative of the people who hold popular sovereignty rather than the people being subjects of the head of state.
Individual rights
“The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges everyone:and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.”
John Locke
Checks and balances
Republicanism
is the ideology of governing a society or state as a republic (la. res publica), where the head of state is a representative of the people who hold popular sovereignty rather than the people being subjects of the head of state.