The three political philosophers whose ideas exerted the greatest influence on the Founders were

A) Rousseau,Nietzsche,and Foucault.
B) Marx,Lenin,and Trotsky.
C) Lincoln,Washington,and Jefferson.
D) Hobbes,Locke,and Montesquieu.

Hobbes, Locke, and Montesquieu were 17th and 18th-century political philosophers whose ideas greatly influenced the development of modern Western democracy. Hobbes argued for a strong central government to control human nature, Locke emphasized natural rights and the social contract between government and people, and Montesquieu advocated for separation of powers within government. The Founders of the United States, including Jefferson, Washington, and Madison, were heavily influenced by these philosophers and incorporated many of their ideas into the structure and principles of the US Constitution.