American Philosophy Answer Assignment - Essay Sample

Quote 1: “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself” (Madison 1).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

This quote means that the separation of power in the American government is not a violation of the free government principles. The separation of power makes it necessary that each branch of the government has a degree of control over the others and the citizens of the country. However, it is difficult for the government to control the American citizens and its branches, the legislative, judiciary, and executive, without getting into conflicts. The American constitution acknowledging separation of power is a discredit for human nature because if men were not flawed, there would be no need for power. The quote also points to the broader point that the need for a government in the United States, as proposed in the constitution, discredits human nature.

This quote directly affects the American political system and Americans' political thought due to the belief that the government's primary control is the dependence of its people, which, if not formulated using a constitution, is most likely to cause domestic disorder. The quote shows that the Americans do not trust the executive alone to govern them hence the need for a constitution that divides power between the executive, legislative, and judiciary. In doing so, these three branches make it easier for the government to control itself and its activities after it control the country's citizens to avoid abuse of power, especially by the president.

This quote's influence on America’s government system and American society includes the government sticking to a noticeable set of responsibilities such as protecting the country from foreign threats, ensuring easy commerce with other countries, and making sure that the constitutional rights of the Americans are protected. This quote has enabled easy governing of America’s activities because power is divided between the government's three arms as per the constitution, making it hard for a few individuals to accrue more power to themselves.

Quote 2: “This liberty is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is of the same kind of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Winthrop 2).

This quote means that civil liberty in a country’s constitution is similar to the moral law, as seen in the covenant between God and man and politic covenants amongst men. The quote also explains that man has the freedom to do whatever he pleases, and the rules and laws by the government play a major role in motivating American citizens to do things correctly. The same way that Christ gave people the freedom to do what they wanted as long as they focused on doing what is good, people in a society must obey the laws that govern them to avoid corruption and uncivilized individuals.

This quote directly affects American’s political thought and development of the political system in America because it creates a need to develop laws and regulations that govern the people and help them do the right things. God’s sovereignty, man’s inequality, and the implications that arise from such inequality form the basis of America’s political thought. The people in the country have a right to elect the people they want to rule them as they affect the rules and regulations that are to be imposed on them. The judicial system and the magistrates in America are therefore expected to make good judgments, especially in political conflicts, to reduce the chances of people showcasing their natural liberty that leads to chaos in the country.

This quote's influence on American society is that people should follow the rules as taught in religion. Religion used in this quote influences women's status in families as they are expected to behave in a certain way and obey the rules set by God and people. This family status symbolizes the perfect choice of marriage by man. The quote also influences the fact that American citizens should follow the laws set by the government. If there were no laws in the country, people would not be civilized, and the country would be filled with sin. Therefore, it creates a need for a government in the United States that sets the rules for people to follow and a hierarchy of power through which laws and regulations are passed on from the legislative down to the common citizens in the country.

Works Cited

Madison, James. "The Federalist, No. 51, February 6, 1788." A. Hamilton, J. Madison, and J. Jay, The Federalist Papers 262 (1997). https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-10-02-0279

Winthrop, John. "Little Speech on Liberty." Constitution Society (2012). https://courses.kvasaheim.com/common/docs/winthrop.pdf