Final answer:
Locke and Montesquieu's Enlightenment ideas fundamentally influenced the structure of modern democracies, particularly with the concepts of natural rights, social contract, and the separation of powers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ideas of John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu have had a profound impact on the world, helping to shape modern democratic government systems. Locke's concept of natural rights, including Life, Liberty, and Property, emphasized the importance of a government's responsibility to its people, and laid the groundwork for what became known as the social contract. If a government failed to protect these rights, the people had the right to overthrow it. This idea influenced the American Revolution and was integral in the development of the U.S. Constitution.
Montesquieu's idea of the separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches to prevent any one group from gaining too much power was equally significant. This concept became a central feature of the United States government structure, designed to provide checks and balances. Their Enlightenment philosophies promoted the values of liberty, égalité, and fraternity during the French Revolution and contributed to the spread of democratic ideals globally.