Which figure is associated with the idea that people are in a state of nature and government should be limited, with the legislature able to replace a tyrannical executive?

• A. Thomas Jefferson
• B. John Locke
• C. John Winthrop
• D. Alexander Hamilton

Answer: (A)

The idea rests on government being formed by consent to protect natural rights, emerging from a state of nature where no one has absolute power. John Locke argues that people enter into a social contract to create a government with limited powers, primarily to safeguard life, liberty, and property. In his view, the legislative branch is the main lawmaking body and serves as a check on the executive. If the ruler acts tyrannically or beyond the mandate given by the people, the social contract permits the people to dissolve or reform the government, including replacing the tyrannical executive, and to establish a new government that better protects their rights. This contrast with other thinkers: Hamilton favors a strong central executive, Winthrop emphasizes covenantal authority in a colonial religious-political context, and Jefferson stresses natural rights and revolution against abuses, but Locke is the one who ties the state of nature to a limited government with a legislature capable of replacing tyranny.