As part of my political science degree, I was required to take a course on political theory, to understand the foundations of political thought throughout history and how those shape modern politics. I chose a course on the Roots of Political Thought, exploring political philosophers from Plato to Locke to Rousseau. One of the papers I wrote in this class focused on the theories of Renaissance and Enlightenment political theorists, specifically Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The paper explored how, based on their theories and writings, they would view contemporary issues, specifically in the United States, such as gun regulation, universal healthcare, and immigration programs.