▁of ▁Government . ▁Government ' s ▁duty ▁under ▁a ▁social ▁contract ▁among ▁the ▁so ver eign ▁people ▁was ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁people ▁by ▁protect ing ▁their ▁rights . ▁These ▁basic ▁rights ▁were ▁life , ▁liberty ▁and ▁property . ▁ ▁Mont es qu ieu ' s ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁fram ers ▁is ▁evident ▁in ▁Mad ison ' s ▁Federal ist ▁No . ▁ 4 7 ▁and ▁Hamilton ' s ▁Federal ist ▁No . ▁ 7 8 . ▁Jefferson , ▁Adams , ▁and ▁Mason ▁were ▁known ▁to ▁read ▁Mont es qu ieu . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁Just ices , ▁the ▁ult imate ▁interpre ters ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution , ▁have ▁c ited ▁Mont es qu ieu ▁throughout ▁the ▁Court ' s ▁history . ▁( See , ▁e . g ., ▁) ▁ ▁Mont es qu ieu ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁bal anced ▁forces ▁pushing ▁against ▁each ▁other ▁to ▁prevent ▁ty ran ny ▁( reflect ing ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Poly b ius ' s ▁ 2 nd ▁century ▁BC ▁treat ise ▁on ▁the ▁checks ▁and ▁bal ances ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic ). ▁In ▁his ▁The ▁Spirit ▁of ▁the ▁La ws , ▁Mont es qu ieu ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁state ▁powers ▁should ▁be ▁by ▁its ▁service ▁to ▁the ▁people ' s ▁liberty : ▁legisl ative , ▁executive ▁and ▁jud icial . ▁ ▁A ▁substantial ▁body ▁of ▁thought ▁had ▁been ▁developed ▁from ▁the ▁literature ▁of ▁republic an ism ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁including ▁work ▁by ▁John ▁Adams ▁and ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁state ▁constitution