Thomas Paine's Blueprint for the Republic

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes and examines Thomas Paine's call for revolution in his treatise, "Common Sense". The author discusses Paine's philosophy regarding the origin and design of government in general; monarchy and hereditary succession; as well as the present state of American politics.

From the Paper:

"The commitment to liberty that dominated America's key revolutionary thinkers like Thomas Paine was extended and re-affirmed by the writers of the Jacksonian era. Whereas America's key revolutionary thinkers defined liberty in terms of individual freedom, the writers of the Jacksonian era extended this definition of liberty to include economic equality and equal protection under the laws. A belief in individual freedom and limited government link the revolutionary thinkers with the writers of the Jacksonian era, i.e., these individuals argued that government should derive its power from the consent of the people and that government should be protecting individuals from harm. While it may not be possible to completely eliminate the threats to liberty from government and the nature of individuals, history has proven that a strong commitment to liberty by the people and the wise institutional design of government may facilitate the development and protection of liberty."

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