Final answer:
American political philosophers sought to create a government rooted in Enlightenment ideals, emphasizing liberty, equality, and a balance of power. The Founding Fathers were inspired by thinkers like Locke and Montesquieu and aimed to avoid the extremes of monarchy and pure democracy, resulting in a federal republic with shared powers among separated government branches.
Step-by-step explanation:
The political philosophers in America aimed to establish a government based on Enlightenment principles, emphasizing liberty and equality. At the heart of this endeavor was the adoption of ideas by figures such as John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu, tailored into an innovative government structure. This new system upheld the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, and introduced a system of shared power among multiple government branches to prevent tyranny and ensure a balance between government authority and individual freedoms.
The Founding Fathers of the United States crafted a federal republic that sought to reflect these ideals. They drew inspiration from the English constitutional system but wanted to avoid the pitfalls of a monarchy and pure democracy. Instead, they built a model with a separation of powers, a system where the states retained significant power, and only certain classes of people, primarily landholders, were considered suitable voters initially.
American historians often regard the creation of the Constitution as a critical juncture, moving away from the trends of the American Revolution toward greater democratization and decentralization.