I believe that Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote the social contract because he believed that everyone should have the right to practice there own religion freely.
Spiro Agnew was accused of taking bribes and forced to resign as Vice President of the United States. The charges stemmed from corrupt activity as a public official in Maryland.
In my view the best word would be ethos. Ethos is the set of fundamental values, guiding principles, social practices and beliefs that constitute the character of a particular culture.
