##Ideals of Democracy FAQ
Q1: What is the ideal of democracy?
A: The ideal of democracy is to balance liberty and order. The US government has attempted to balance individual rights and liberties with the government power necessary to, as the Constitution puts it, “establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, [and] provide for the common defense.”
Q2: What are natural rights and where did the Founders get the idea from?
A: Natural rights are the rights that all human beings have by nature, such as life, liberty, and property. The Founders were influenced by the writings of Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke, who argued that governments exist to protect natural rights and that people have the right to revolt against unjust governments.
Q3: What are some examples of individual liberties that the Declaration of Independence lists as being violated by the British government?
A: Some examples of individual liberties that the Declaration of Independence lists as being violated by the British government are the right to a fair trial by jury, the right to consent to taxation, the right to petition for redress of grievances, the right to trade freely, and the right to be free from arbitrary searches and seizures.
Q4: What are the main principles of the Constitution and how do they reflect the ideals of democracy?
A: The main principles of the Constitution are popular sovereignty, republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and limited government. These principles reflect the ideals of democracy by ensuring that the people are the ultimate source of authority, that they elect representatives to make laws on their behalf, that power is divided between the national and state governments, that each branch of the federal government has its own functions and responsibilities, that each branch can limit or restrain the actions of the other branches, and that the government is bound by the rule of law and the rights of the people.
Q5: What are some examples of how the US government has balanced liberty and order throughout its history?
A: Some examples of how the US government has balanced liberty and order throughout its history are: 1) the Civil War and Reconstruction, which resolved the conflict between the union and the states’ rights and abolished slavery; 2) the Progressive Era, which introduced reforms to address social and economic problems caused by industrialization and urbanization; 3) the New Deal, which expanded the federal government’s role in regulating the economy and providing social welfare; 4) the Civil Rights Movement, which challenged racial discrimination and segregation and secured legal and political rights for minorities; and 5) the War on Terror, which raised questions about the balance between national security and civil liberties in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.