The Social Contract and Its Impact on the Government Essay

The Social Contract and Its Impact on the Government The â€Å"Social Contract† was a theory written in the 17th and 18th century. This theory argued four important main points. These main points said that the state existed to serve the will of the people, that people were the only source of government power, that the people were free to withhold power of the government, but also had the ability to give power to the government, and finally it stated that the ideas in this document limited government, individual rights, and popular sovereignty. James Harrington, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke wrote this document. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were both very important men, and both had a tremendous influence on†¦show more content†¦The Articles of Confederation were the Nation’s first constitution, and was called the â€Å"firm league of friendship† among the 13 states. Although there was only good in mind when they were written, the Articles of Confederation had major problems. Sin ce the nation had just left the rule of the British, the people were reluctant to have a strong government, and this is why the Articles had very limited powers. For example, the Articles did not provide for a president or a national court system. It did, however, create a Congress that allowed each state to have one vote, but these powers were limited as well. They had the power to call for war, but could not make the states obey treaties of other nations or draft for soldiers. Congress also did not have the power to regulate any sort of trade, interstate or foreign. They also did not have the power to tax individuals or states as well. Due the lack of powers written in the Article of Confederation the document was soon considered to be a failure. One of the many reasons that the Articles of Confederation was not successful was because of the problems the nation faced at that time. Just a few of the hardships the people faced included the Stamp Act of 1765, Boston Massacre 1770, Bo ston Tea Party 1773, the Intolerable Acts 1774, Lexington and Concord 1775, and finally the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776. The framers thought that the Articles could help out theShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke And Rousseau s Impact On Western Political Development1593 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Locke and Rousseau The Enlightenment saw many great thinkers, but maybe no other individuals had a greater impact on Western political development than John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Locke and Rousseau, at the core of their arguments, believed that mankind creates a social contract within society. 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