Rousseau's Social Contract Theory Of Democracy

According to the center on congress at Indiana University, Lee Hamilton, a former member of the United States House of Representatives, states this about government, “no matter how good a policy, if good people aren’t available to carry it out, it will fail.” As democracy puts governmental power into the hands of the people, it is crucial that citizens embody the theory of enlightened self interest where the ideas of common good are above those of the individual. With a mindset that good people are needed to carry out good policies, if congress is failing, the people are failing. Thomas Jefferson stated, “No government can continue good, but under the control of the people.” Popular sovereignty is crucial to emplacing and maintaining a government for the people.When emerging from a state of nature, social contract theory is …show more content…
Rousseau’s social contract theory supported people 's sovereignty where he states, “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” Rousseau realizes that the equality of the people in a state of nature is very assorted as people freely try to gain an edge over one another. The Declaration of Independence voices that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” Democracy has power from the consent of the governed and exists to secure the rights of the people. The power of voice given to the people in a republic is through congress. When Thomas Jefferson and George Washington addressed the function of congress, they referred to it as a saucer and cup. As ideas of legislation are poured out by the house into the cup, the senate cools the ideas as a saucer to make legislation more palpable for the people. With this, the senate serves as a function against the barbaric mob rule ideology created by the