Montesquieu and the Separation of Powers

The great baron, de Monstesquieu
Was looking for something to do.
In the space of three days,
He split power three ways.
I think it's amazing, don't you?

Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, was a French nobleman of the 18th century. He did not like France being under an absolute monarch, and thought that the British had a better system after William and Mary became king and queen of Great Britain in 1689. Montesquieu thought that the British divided power three ways:

The Parliament makes laws (legislative power).
The King enforces and carries out laws (executive power).
The courts interpret laws (judicial power).

His ideas had a great influence on the American Constitution, which described the powers of the legislative branch (Congress) in Article I, the executive branch (President) in Article II, and the judicial branch (Supreme and other courts) in Article III.

The pictures show Baron de Monstequieu with and without his wig. How would you like to dress like that?

Map Changes for World History Students.

This map shows the territories ruled by CHarles V, who spoke Spanish to God, French to friends, Italian to women, and German to horses. What modern countries were parts of Charles V's empire?

This next map shows Europe in 1648, after the Thirty Years' War ended. Can you see if there are any lands which Charles V ruled which are no longer under the Habsburg dynasty?
















Remember Marco Polo, who visited China in 1285? Here is a map of the China that Kublai Khan ruled. The dynasty to which Kublai Khan belonged was called the Yuan. It was a period when the Mongols, a people who were foreign to the Chinese, ruled China.











Are there any modern countries that were part of the Great Khanate of Kublai Khan which are no longer part of China?


Next, since we've heard reports about Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded overthrew the Yuan dynasty and started the Ming Dynasty, here is a map of China under the Ming Dynasty.








Who ruled more land--the Yuan emperor Kublai Khan, or the Ming emperors?

Something to think about:

During the period between 1350-1700 A.D., we divide European history into ages of Renaissance, Reformation, Exploration, and Royal Absolutism. During the same period of time, the Ming dynasty ruled China during the years 1368-1644 (it lasted until 1683 on Taiwan!).

Important Concepts for Government Students

LSN Government students need to be sure they understand the following concept:

limited government -- The powers of government are limited, not absolute.

rule of law -- Leaders are expected to follow the law.

separation of powers -- different branches of government have different functions, responsibilities, and duties. The legislative branch makes laws; the executive branch carries out laws; the judicial branch interprets laws.

federalism -- state and national governments share power.

opportunity cost -- The thing given up in order to get something else. For example, giving up liberty is the opportunity cost for a government that is able to make quick, decisive actions.

For World History Students--New Words

World History Students should learn these words:

dynasty--A family of monarchs.



Zhu Yuanzhang started the Ming Dynasty in China.

Charles V, of the Habsburg Dynasty, ruled the Holy Roman Empire, Franche
Comte, Spain, and the Spanish colonies in the New World.

patrician -- belonging to a wealthy and powerful family.

The Medicis were a patrician family in Florence.

Johannes Gutenberg was born to a patrician family in Mainz, Germany.

peasant -- A farmer with very little land or money.

Zhu Yuanzhang was born into a peasant family.

fresco -- A wall painting in fresh plaster.

The artists Giotto and Michelangelo were famous for their frescoes.

patron -- Someone who supports artists.

Lorenzo de Medici was a famour patron of the arts.

eccelsiastical -- concerning the church

Martin Luther followed an ecclesiastical career.

autocratic -- Concentrating power in one person's hands.

Zhu Yuanzhang was an autocratic ruler whose power was not limited by law.

despot -- A tyrant or autocratic ruler.

Many said the Lorenzo de Medici was the despot of Florence.

maritime -- On the sea.

Mongols -- A people from Central Asia who conquered most lands between Poland and Korea and Siberia, Burma, and Persia during the 12th and 13th centuries.

Kublai Khan was the most powerful Mongol emperor of China.

Yuan -- The Mongol dynasty in China.

Kublai Khan was the greatest of the Yuan emperors.

Ming -- The dynasty which Zhu Yuanzhang established after expelling the Mongols.

The Ming dynasty lasted from 13689-1644 A.D.

maritime -- Related to the sea or ships.

Florence carried on a great maritime trade with the Ottoman Empire.

surrogate -- a substitute or representative.

Don't make copying papers and quizzes a surrogate for doing your own study.

Tuscan-- from or related to Tuscany, the Italian region around Florence.

Dante Alighieri wrote in the Tsucan dialect of Italian.

conspiracy -- A plan to do something bad.

The Pazzi family and Archbishop of Pisa were in a conspiracy against Lorenzo
de Medici.

Ottoman -- The Turkish Empire that covered most of the Middle East and Southeastern Europe in Renaissance and early modern times.

Mehmet II conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453 and made it the capital
city of the Ottoman Empire.

Meet George Buchanan!

George Buchanan was 16th century Scottish humanist, scholar, religious reformer, and tutor to the young King James VI of Scotland (later King James I of England). He was a pioneer of social contract theory almost a century before John Locke was born.







This is a portrait of King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) as a boy.

James was Dr. Buchanan's student. Although Dr. Buchanan advocated rule of law and political compact (an older word for social contract), King James grew up to be a strong supporter of royal absolutism--or, the belief that kings must answer only to God.

Once, when James was around twelve years of age, he did not want to do his Latin lessons. He got saucy with Dr. Buchanan. Dr. Buchanan, in good, 16th century pedagogical style, took a birch rod to the young, royal backside.

The young King James then went complaining to his step-mother, the Countess of Mar (actually, some stepmothers in days of old, were actually kind). The COuntess of Mar was indignant, and stormed into the royal classroom.

"How dare you strike the one whom God has appointed king over us!" The Countess cried, wagging a nobly-born finger at Dr. Buchanan.

Dr. Buchanan looked up from the book before him. "Madam," he said, "I have whipped his bottom; you may kiss it if you please."

There are two morals to this story:
(1) Social contract whipped royal absolutism.
(2) Even kings have to do their homework!

Reminder on Projects:

WORLD HISTORY STUDENTS:

I will extend the due date for your biography projects to the week of September 26.

Remember, you need to provide the following informtion:

(1) Dates of birth and death.

(2) Nationality

(3) Position--was this person an artist, writer, ruler, inventor, soldier, or what?

(4) What were this person's major achievements? Why was this person famous??

(5) Are there any interesting stories about this person?

(6) Remember to do your own work and use your own words. Copying an on-line or encyclopedia article IS NOT the same as doing the project.

Some Rhymes, just for fun.

MAGNA CARTA (1215 A.D.)

In days of old,
When knights were bold,
And most trade was by barter,
The English barons forced King John
To sign the Magna Carta


ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS (1689 A.D.)

In 'Eighty-nine,
When things weren't fine,
When Billy and James had fights,
In England, Queen Mary and Good King Bill
Signed the Bill of Rights.

MACHIAVELLI

Niccolo said it is right
For princes to scheme, hurt, and fight.
But this sneaky slob
Could not keep his job,
Which is why he was forced to go write!


THREE FOR SOCIAL CONTRACT

Said Old Thomas Hobbes, with a snort,
"Our natural lives of the sort
Quite unfettered by kings
Are most miserable things,
Being nasty, brutish, and short."

Sam Rutherford, in cleric's frock,
Can give modern folks a great shock.
It's a very firm fact
That of social contract
He wrote well before Old John Locke.

Rousseau, the great libertarian,
Celebrated the noble barbarian.
His science abysmal
Found society dismal,
And made politics contractarian.

Some Rhymes for my Students

BOTH LSN GOVERNMENT and WORLD HISTORY students should memorize these rhymes:



MAGNA CARTA (1215 A.D.)

In days of old,
When knights were bold,
And most trade was by barter,
The English barons forced King John
To sign the Magna Carta


ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS (1689 A.D.)

In 'Eighty-nine,
When things weren't fine,
When Billy and James had fights,
In England, Queen Mary and Good King Bill
Signed the Bill of Rights.

MACHIAVELLI

Niccolo said it is right
For princes to scheme, hurt, and fight.
But this sneaky slob
Could not keep his job,
Which is why he was forced to go write!


THREE FOR SOCIAL CONTRACT

Said Old Thomas Hobbes, with a snort,
"Our natural lives of the sort
Quite unfettered by kings
Are most miserable things,
Being nasty, brutish, and short."

Sam Rutherford, in cleric's frock,
Can give modern folks a great shock.
It's a very firm fact
That of social contract
He wrote well before Old John Locke.

Rousseau, the great libertarian,
Celebrated the noble barbarian.
His science abysmal
Found society dismal,
And made politics contractarian.

Important Information for all of my students:

This is a website for the Prince Georges County Public Libraries. If you haven't gotten a card yet, do so. If you have one, this is useful for you.


https://catalog.pgcmls.info/polaris/patronaccount/selfregister.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1

IMPORTANT for LSN GOVERNMENT STUDENTS

We are watching the film "The Road from Runnymeade". This is to introduce some very important concepts:

(1) Rule of Law

(2) Limited government.

(3) Social Contract

(4) Separation of Powers

(5) Checks and Balances

Here are some questions you should reflect on:

1. What is Parliament?

2. When did the English write their Bill of Rights?

3. What is the Magna Carta?

4. Why is English history important for understanding American government?

A Poem:

In days of Old,
When knights were bold
And most trade was by barter,
The English Barons forced King John
To sign the Magna Carta!

New Words:

barter: Trade by exchange one good for another instead of paying money.

barons: powerful noblemen who controlled much land, had castles, and commanded their own private armies.

Magna Carta: An English document listing some important legal rights. It was written in 1215 A.D.

IMPORTANT for WORLD HISTORY STUDENTS

Dear Students:

You have each received a slip with the name of a famous person on it. These people lived between 1350-1600 A.D. This blog entry is to tell you what you must do, in case you do not remember what was said in class.

Starting THURSDAY, 09/22/11, YOU will help teach the class. You will introduce the person on your slip of paper to the rest of us.

(1) Go to the library or online and read a biography, encyclopedia article, or other information about this person.

(2) You will be graded on the following:

a. Dates (when the person lived and died.

b. Nationality--Where was this person from?

c. What was his/her position in society?

d. What were some of this person's achievements?

e. Are there any interesting stories about this person?

f. Use your own words.

g. Give me your source(s).

(3) If you handwrite your paper, it should be 1-1.5 pages long. If you use a word processor, it should be about 1/2-3/4 pages. Submit a paper; do not send an attachment.

(4) Keep some notes for yourself. These will help you when you present to the class.

(5) If you just cut and paste an internet article, you will get a zero. REMEMBER: I have a good idea about your vocabulary and grasp of English grammar! DON'T MAKE ME SUSPICIOUS!

(6) Everyone must present to the class! If you are scared or shy, that's alright. We all need to learn how to speak and present to an audience.

(7) I look forward to hearing from you all starting next Thursday!

Dr. Herz