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According to the founders,_______was fundamentally important to securing property rights.

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Final answer:

The founders believed that government protection was fundamentally important to securing property rights, advocating for a legal system that protects ones right to property acquired through their own labor.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the founders, government protection was fundamentally important to securing property rights. The principles held by the American founders such as John Locke and Baron Montesquieu emphasized the natural right to life, liberty, and property. They believed in a system where government had the role of enforcing laws to protect these rights and ensure that others could not infringe upon one's property without compensation. This belief system acknowledged that if someone invested labor into the commons, like clearing land or harvesting resources, they were entitled to that property, but with the restriction of ensuring availability to others. The notion that no taxation should occur without representation was a related aspect, reinforcing the connection between property ownership and political influence. The delegates of the constitutional era and subsequent political leaders harbored a skepticism towards pure democracy, preferring that only landowners or those with significant wealth should vote, in order to protect property rights and counter any potential shift towards socialism or wealth redistribution.

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