1. What is Social Contract Theory? Who created it?

Social Contract Theory is all about giving up your rights to get the protections of a society / government. It was created mostly through Thomas Hobes and John Locke

  1. In many towns in the Northeast, cities and towns hold town halls, which allow every citizen the opportunity to speak up to their representative and to the crowd (see image above). Why would this be impractical in larger cities?

In smaller cities a town hall will be able to house a larger percentage of the society. A larger town/city wont be able to fit that many people without devoting TOO many resources.

  1. How do town hall meetings reflect the idea of the social contract?

They give the people a change to sacrifice their time to get their voice heard.

Enlightenment Thinkers & British Influences

Pre-Score: 9/10

Post Score: 9/10

Station 1: Thomas Hobbes

  1. What is social contract theory?
    1. Give up natural rights for order
  2. What type of government would Thomas Hobbes have liked?
    1. Monarchy
  3. How would Hobbes have felt about democracy?
    1. He not like it

Station 2: John Locke

  1. John Locke promoted the idea of natural rights. How did he define natural rights?
    1. Life / Liberty / Property
  2. What did he think people should do if the government fails to protect these rights?
    1. Change or Replace
  3. How did the idea of natural rights influence the Declaration of Independence?
    1. It created the phrase “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happy”

Station 3: Voltaire

  1. Which amendment did Voltaire have a heavy emphasis on in our Constitution?
    1. The First Amendment
  2. What two parts of that amendment did he argue for? (Freedoms of _____ & ____)
    1. Speech
    2. Religion

Station 4: Montesquieu

  1. Montesquieu is best known for his argument for what two principles of government?
    1. Seperation of Powers and Checks & Balances
  2. How did his ideas influence the structure of our government?
    1. Largely. it gives us our three branches of government
  3. What power do each of the following branches have?
    1. Legislative - Make laws
    2. Executive - Enforces laws
    3. Judicial - Rules on Legality of Laws

Station 5: Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  1. Would Rousseau have preferred a system where people vote on everything or a system where we vote for elected representatives to vote on things for them?
    1. People voting on everything
  2. What is that system of government called?
    1. Direct

Station 6: Magna Carta

  1. Why was the Magna Carta written?
    1. Limit power of ruler
  2. What is an important principle from the Magna Carta?
    1. Due Process
  3. How does that principle influence our government today?
    1. Laid the foundation for legal practices in most of the world

Station 7: Mayflower Compact

  1. What principle in the Mayflower Compact set a precedent for American democracy?
    1. Order? Self government
  2. Where does the Mayflower Compact say the government gets their power from?
    1. Majority Rule / people