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Locke believed that governments were established to protect the unalienable rights of its citizens. These rights include life, liberty, and property. Other than protecting these natural rights, Locke stated that the government should have no other power. The idea of unalienable-rights inspired the Founding Fathers to mention it in the Declaration of Independence. The "First Principle" in the Declaration of Independence states that "“all men are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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John Locke denied the belief that the government should have absolute power. Locke believed that the government should have enough power to ensure the protection of humans' unalienable rights, but nothing more. He also stresses the importance that a limited government must be approved by the majority. Rather than giving the government all the power to make sure rights are protected, John Locke believes in checks and balances in the government. Through checks and balances, the different branches of government is restricted from having absolute power.

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John Locke's social contract is his most famous belief. The Social Contract is evident in the Declaration of Independence. This theory argued that all people are equally free, and in return for their freedom the people must accept a form of government to protect these freedoms. Locke believes that since people have a want of safety, they accept the contract to be governed. This is where Locke's other idea of limited government comes into play. If the people buy into the contract, the government should give their end of the deal, protect their rights, and nothing else.

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John Locke was a member of the Anglican Church. In his book about religious tolerance "A Letter Concerning Toleration," Locke wrote about how he believes there has been too much violence over religious topics. Locke states that religion does not require the use of physical force against those who don't believe in the same things. Locke believed that no person should be negatively affected by the religion that they practice. If religion is a peaceful practice by itself, Locke believes that everyone should not turn to violence to prove that their religion is better than others. In fact, Locke thinks that the opposite should be true.

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John Locke believed that people have the right to revolt and overthrow a government that acts against the beliefs of the people or hurts the people without true reasoning. This right of rebellion has justified many rebellions, such as the American revolution and the French revolution. This is prevalent in the Declaration of Independence when it states the ability to rebel is not only a citizen's right, but it is their duty. This is because it is believed that the right to rebel ruins the status of power, whereas the duty to rebel breaks apart the government.