PS 201 Joseph Boland

Introduction to US Politics Fall, 1998

Ideological Influences on the Formation of the Early American Republic
Protestantism Republicanism Liberalism
Readiness to challenge established authority: Protestantism undermined deference to authority. It was far more democratic in spirit and practice than the feudalism it rejected. Popular sovereignty and the shift from theories of "balance" to that of rule by the people. The social contract: Government is conceived of as based on a contract voluntarily entered into by individuals, in which they gain security and peace in exchange for limits on personal liberty
The sacredness of individual conscience: The primacy of personal faith and individual conscience in Protestantism was the precursor of the ideal of personal liberty. Civic virtue: "the willingness of individuals to subordinate their private interests to the common good" (text, 18-19). Limited government: Government should protect the property and person of individuals, settle disputes fairly, assure the rule of law and contract, and defend the nation against external foes.
Religious freedom: Protestantism unintentionally fomented so many conflicting interpretations of the Bible and Christian doctrine as to prepare the ground for religious toleration and freedom. Liberty versus power: government should be kept as close to the people as possible, for power threatened liberty if government became detached from the people, developing interests at odds with those of the governed. Representative government: Government is the 'agent' of the governed, thus is obliged to represent and carry-out their interests. This also means that there is a right of rebellion against tyranny.
Human nature: Protestantism provided views of human nature compatible both with elite and popular democracy. The Puritan view of fallen man was a pessimistic assessment of human nature. The Quakers viewed human nature in a more optimistic and egalitarian light, much as popular democratic theory does. Primacy of legislative government: the defense of liberty was entrusted to the legislature, which was closer to the people than the executive. Faith in the benign harmony of the free market: the free exchange of goods and services reconciles the pursuit of individual gain with the social good and reduces the need for governmental coercion.
Work ethic: according to which hard work, frugality, and the accumulation of wealth were the surest signs of one's salvation. It provided a moral framework conducive to the development of capitalism and to the creation of a state based on equality of opportunity rather than equality of condition. The small republic: civic virtue required that "the manners, sentiments, and interests" of the citizens of the republic be similar, and this homogeneity could only be expected in a small society. Second, keeping government close to the people depended upon limiting both the geographic extent and the population of the republic.  
  Model of citizenship: the republican citizen was economically independent, male, and (almost always) white. Not being dependent on others, the citizen could be counted on to speak freely in public affairs and to have an interest in the economic well-being and social stability of the republic.