A Comparison Of Power In England And The Dutch Republic

The seventeenth century saw the evolution of two new types of government mainly because of the instability that was caused by religious wars. One type of government was a constitutional monarchy in which rulers were confined to the laws of the state, giving the people some liberties, best exemplified by William and Mary during the Stuart monarchial rule. Constitutional monarchy was successful in mainly in England because of the Magna Carta, which kept the king’s power in check. The other type was absolute monarchy, in which the king has power over everything, shown by the French under Louis XIV. Although these two

During the second half of the 17th century, there were many similarities and differences between the monarchy in England and France. These similarities and differences were seen in the theory and practice of the monarchies. In England, there was a Constitutional monarchy, while in France, there was an Absolutist monarchy. In the second half of the 17th century, absolute monarchs such as Louis XIV ruled in France, and William and Mary shared their power with Parliament in England. These two monarchies had differences theories and government, but they shared a similarity through the practice of mercantilism.

It states that “that to secure these rights,governments are instituted among men deriving their power from the consent of the governed”(Document 2) The people give the government the power that it has,without the people the government was powerless. This thought came during the Revolution when people realized that they had the power to make changes in the government to benefit their

The new King attempted to create the Dominion of New England, which was planned to organize the northern colonies into a one large province and then to be ruled by a “royal appointee”. Yet, it had failed to be put into action. This, and the events happening in England, would lead to the Glorious Revolution following a few years later. The Glorious Revolution had rejected James II’s authority and after the overthrow of his authority the northern colonies were free from the Dominion of New England. The new King (William) seemed to have no interest in the colonies and left them to fend for themselves, which allowed the colonies to self-govern. The Bill of Rights, which Parliament had passed in 1689, would later on be a model of how the colonies would rule

Unlike Absolutist governments, which allowed for Kings like Louis XIV to spend on their own lavish lifestyles and palaces, constitutionalism ensured the no one leader in government was too powerful. In his The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu advocated for a government where “the executive, legislative, and judicial powers” were separated from one another (Document 6). This idea, which is one of the building blocks of constitutionalism, ensured the interest of all citizens were being represented. In the English Revolution, the once Absolutist government gained a greater separation of powers. Parliament was given sovereignty over annual taxation, in addition to the implementation of national elections every two years. Unlike absolutist governments in France and Russia, This new distribution of responsibilities helped to keep the English Monarch from making decisions that didn’t best serve the interest of his people. Ultimately, in a societally imbalanced Europe, constitutionalism ensured a separation of powers in government that prevented corruption and ensured that citizens had greater representation within their

Additionally, the people have the right to create a new government if the old government fails its the people itself. They do not have a right to get out of a failed government but they can prevent one was an important part of John Locke's idea on government.Furthermore, in paragraph 2 “Of the

Following, numerous years of tension and issues, including unfair taxation, and unlawful restrictions, Great Britain and the colonies, underwent a revolution resulting in their separation. Through their new found freedom came the Declaration of Independence, a formal proclamation affirming the colonies to be ¨Free and Independent States.¨ The Declaration incorporates numerous ideas about government and people, many of which are found in John Locke's natural rights philosophy. Natural rights philosophy explains that all people, after leaving the state of nature, enter into a social contract with their government. In doing so they choose to give up some of their rights but gain protection and inalienable rights. The ideas formulated by John Locke and incorporated into the Declaration of Independence include the belief a person is afforded the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness regardless of their social status or wealth but by being a part of society. Another accumulated concept is the notion that a government derives its power to govern from the consent of the people when they enter into a social contract. Lastly, the power of the people to overthrow a government that fails to protect their unalienable rights was a part of natural rights philosophy incorporated into the Declaration. The Declaration of Independence was a significant component of early America as it sets the goals and ideas for the country as well advocating natural rights

Which was also reflected when Jefferson says, ‘’Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it’’ (104). This means that people have the right or the responsibility a government that is tyrannical. The English Bill of Rights lays down the limits on the powers of the monarch and sets out rights of the parliament including freedom of election, freedom of speech, the requirement to regular elections to Parliament, the right to petition in the monarch without fear of retribution which reflects John Locke’s ‘’Second Treatise of Civil Government’’. John Locke argued that government legitimacy is based on the consent of the governed and on a responsibility to protect natural rights. John argues, “The great and chief end, therefore, of mens uniting into commonwealths, and putting themselves under Government, is the preservation of their Property’’ ( 93).

Locke explains the society of the political ideology, “begins and actually constitutes any political society is nothing but the consent of any number of freemen capable of a majority to unite and incorporate into such a society” (Doc A). Although other philosophical ideas drove the declaration, John Locke’s ideas correlated to the problems of the way Great Britain ruled the

England’s lengthy history of hereditary monarchs and abusive absolutists has led to the system of constitutionalism in 17th century English government. The encouragement of these absolutism practices triggered the need to search for a new way to govern. The reigns of the Stuart monarchy led to the shift from absolutism to constitutionalism during 17th century England. After witnessing the success of Louis XIV's of France establishment of absolutism, England would soon see that James I, and his son Charles I, will fail at establishing absolutism in England and see a constitutional government established.

Locke believed that man should not let any boundaries be set forth upon them against their recreation of their rights, however, within the limitations of the government and the safety of the people. Using Locke’s ideas the authors of the Declaration of Independence imitates his belief with “whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…” . This statement is a powerful one to have in such a monumental document that the entire governmental system is based upon as it not only gives the people their individual rights, popular sovereignty, but also asserts their final

The Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Toleration Act of 1689, and the English Bill of Rights of 1689 were major political actions that helped to establish religious freedoms. These political actions established that the Crown could not have a standing army or levy taxes on the citizens without the permission of Parliament. They also abolished the concept of the divine right of kings and extreme religious persecution. Before the Glorious Revolution, the Toleration Act, and the English Bill of Rights, the King or Queen was able to mandate a universal religion for all of the nation’s citizens. This caused a lot of turmoil within the nation and caused it to stand divided. With more citizens beginning to

Locke indicates that, by giving up some of one's rights, the state gains legislative power and is obliged to use this power to make laws that benefit the people, who hired it. Locke writes that, "This legislative is not only the supreme power of the common-wealth, but sacred and unalterable in the hands where the community have once placed it...over whom no body can have a power to make laws, but by their own consent, and by authority received from them." (XI 134) Rousseau argues that the state should not be able to acquire legislative power, but simply acts as an executive. He claims that the legislative power comes from the people, for the sovereign is simply the general will of everyone, in which the state should obey and enforce. Rousseau states that, "Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme control of the general will, and, as a body, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole" ( ), showing that the aggregate mind of the people, the general will, has the legislative power as "all" powers are given to it.

As a result of looking through Thomas Hobbes’ view on monarchy and John Locke’s view on democracy, both perspectives provide a vast amount of information of an ideal government. In Locke’s book, Second Treatise of Government, chapter 11 is devoted to legislative power, which Locke identifies as the most important part of the government. Locke provides rules for this legislative power. The first is the preservation of society. No one can challenge the power of the legislative body, or pass laws of their own. This power is invested in the body of the majority. In this chapter, he brings up a constant

In the wake of political turmoil in England, Locke asserted the right of a people to change a government that did not protect natural rights of life, liberty and property. [8]