<P> The theory of the "social contract" influenced the belief among many of the Founders that among the "natural rights" of man was the right of the people to overthrow their leaders, should those leaders betray the historic rights of Englishmen . In terms of writing state and national constitutions, the Americans heavily used Montesquieu's analysis of the wisdom of the "balanced" British Constitution (mixed government). </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> Part of the Politics series on </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Republicanism </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Central concepts (show) <Ul> <Li> Anti-monarchism </Li> <Li> Popular sovereignty </Li> <Li> Republic </Li> <Li> Res publica </Li> <Li> Social contract </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Schools (show) <Ul> <Li> Classical republicanism </Li> <Li> Neo-republicanism </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Important thinkers (show) <Ul> <Li> Hannah Arendt </Li> <Li> Cicero </Li> <Li> James Harrington </Li> <Li> Thomas Jefferson </Li> <Li> John Locke </Li> <Li> James Madison </Li> <Li> Montesquieu </Li> <Li> Philip Pettit </Li> <Li> Polybius </Li> <Li> Jean Jacques Rousseau </Li> <Li> Michael Sandel </Li> <Li> Algernon Sidney </Li> <Li> Quentin Skinner </Li> <Li> Cass Sunstein </Li> <Li> Mary Wollstonecraft </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> History (show) <Ul> <Li> Roman Republic </Li> <Li> Gaṇa sangha </Li> <Li> Classical Athens </Li> <Li> Republic of Venice </Li> <Li> Republic of Genoa </Li> <Li> Republic of Florence </Li> <Li> Dutch Republic </Li> <Li> American Revolution </Li> <Li> French Revolution </Li> <Li> Spanish American wars of independence </Li> <Li> Trienio Liberal </Li> <Li> French Revolution of 1848 </Li> <Li> 5 October 1910 revolution </Li> <Li> Xinhai Revolution </Li> <Li> Russian Revolution </Li> <Li> German Revolution of 1918--19 </Li> <Li> Turkish War of Independence </Li> <Li> Mongolian Revolution of 1921 </Li> <Li> 11 September 1922 Revolution </Li> <Li> Spanish Civil War </Li> <Li> Birth of the Italian Republic </Li> <Li> Egyptian Revolution of 1952 </Li> <Li> 14 July Revolution </Li> <Li> North Yemen Civil War </Li> <Li> Zanzibar Revolution </Li> <Li> 1969 Libyan coup d'état </Li> <Li> Cambodian coup of 1970 </Li> <Li> Third Hellenic Republic </Li> <Li> Iranian Revolution </Li> <Li> 1987 Fijian coups d'état </Li> <Li> Nepalese Civil War </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> By country (show) <Ul> <Li> Australia </Li> <Li> Barbados </Li> <Li> Canada </Li> <Li> Ireland </Li> <Li> Jamaica </Li> <Li> Morocco </Li> <Li> Netherlands </Li> <Li> New Zealand </Li> <Li> Spain </Li> <Li> Sweden </Li> <Li> Turkey </Li> <Li> United Kingdom </Li> <Li> United States </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Related topics (show) <Ul> <Li> Communitarianism </Li> <Li> Liberalism </Li> <Li> Monarchism </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Politics portal </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> Part of the Politics series on </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Republicanism </Th> </Tr>

Describe american political thought in the colonies before the revolution