One of the true ancestors of american government was thomas hobbes (1588-1679). in leviathan (1651), hobbes wrote of the imperative need for a social contract with adequate checks and balances because in "the state of nature" mankind was?

He thought that when men were offered the ability for more stability if the obeyed laws, they would be more likely to obey laws for the benefits despite their nature of constantly reaching for power.

Explanation:

Basically, Hobbes thought that once laws were proposed with the "reward" for following them being protections, people would be more likely to follow said laws because people in nature constantly wanted more power and they would be able to submit easier underneath rulers if they received protections for their cooperation.