Enlightenment and American Gov
Chrissy Foster
Hobbes
People are born bad and they aren't born equal. The government is an absolute monarchy and the purpose for the government is so that people don't run amok. Societies have governments because people are bad and don't know how to act. The person that rules has the right to power in societies.
Locke
All people are born with the ability to either be good or bad it just depends on their experiences; they are also born equal. Government is a contract between the government and the citizens. Societies have governments to protect their rights as well as to create order. Everyone has the right to power in society though it's the will of the people that matter.
Montesquieu
People are good but they need the law anyways; and people are born equal. Government is separation of powers. societies have governments in order to avoid tyranny as well as it just being human nature to have laws. The purpose is so that no one group can take over allthe other groups of people living there. Everyone has the right to power in a society.
Voltaire
People are all born innately good but have the ability to be bad and people are not born equal but everyone so be treated well. Government is a constitutional, limited monarchy. Societies have governments in order to protect you and the right to say what you wish to say. Both the people and the king have the right to power in a society.
Rousseau
People are born good but they get tainted by society and they are born equal, but have the right to individual freedoms. Government is a contract between people, where you give up a bit of personal freedoms in favor of the majority decision. Societies have governments because civilizations are the reason that man aren't always good. The purpose of government is that people aren't always good and they should answer to something. The general will of the people have the power in society.
Smith
His ideas relate to the United States in that we have a free market yet the government has but some environmental stipulations on it to protect the places that we live in. Also we have government jobs for each of the states and counties but also for the national government.
Summary
The enlightenment influenced our government by adding the many components of it's rules and laws. Many of the enlightenment figures believed in social contracts; and a few believed in separation of powers. They also believed that every person was born equal and that they had certain rights given to them. When added together you get the basics of what our government was based on; these ideas had to build off of each other in order to make something truly unique.