Publius's Argument For The Constitution

291 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Federalist no 10 analysis essay

In Federalist #39, Publius addressed two elements in his argument for the Constitution. Two terms are crucial to his argument. First, he spoke of the “national,” which referred to the people while the “federal” term was used to refer to the states as in the Articles of Confederation. Madison goes on to address those who believed that the federal should be preserved, in that, the states should be preserved. Furthermore, the term national, used to directly address the power of the people. When Madison (Publius) spoke of “establishing the Constitution,” he made issue of the fact that, in order for the Constitution to actually be the Constitution , it had to be ratified by each state rather than each person. This is what made “establishing the

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Federalist 10

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    Federalist #10 is written by James Madison addressing the state of New York, and is a continuation of Federalist #9, which attempts to address the Union as a safeguard against domestic faction and insurrection. It hopes to instill in the anti-federalists that the constitution safeguards against incivility and uprising. Madison believes that “(the American constitutions) have as effectually obviated the danger on this side, as was wished and expected”. He believes that the United States Constitution is well-covered against possibilities of insurrection and uprising from both inside and outside of government positions in office, and this is what he is attempting to explain to the citizens of New York.

    Read More

  • Lucius Cornelius Sulla And The Republic

    1672 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, born in 138B.C. to a minor branch of the Cornelian gens, has been heralded as a fortuitous and cunning man, a formidable commander, and yet an unfit politician with perplexing motives. Sulla’s early campaigning allowed him to rise to great military distinction, and earned him the later invaluable respect of his fellow soldiers. Nevertheless, his career illustrated the demoralisation of the Republic and contributed to its ultimate degeneration. The reformative measures he took in his last years of power - which were intended to preserve the Republican institution, were homicidal and ephemeral; they were altogether ineffectual compared to the example of Sulla’s own career. Sulla chose for his own epitaph, ‘no one ever did more good to his friends, nor more harm to his enemies’ (Southern Utah University, p.6). No words speak so succinctly of his political ideology as these.

    Read More

  • Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Anti-Federalists

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eric Foner claims the definition of Federalism refers to the relationship between the national government and the states. Unlike the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation came with many weaknesses. Some provided by our powerpoint include that the Federal government had no power to make the states obey the Articles and laws that were passed by the legislature. The states also had the power to tax, and the opportunity to print their own money. Our powerpoint focuses on the $10 million Congress owed to other countries, as well as the $40 million it owed to the American veterans. The Constitution differed. Foner states that not only did the Constitution enhance national authority, but it also permitted Congress to levy taxes, conduct commerce, confirm war, deal with the foreign nations and Indians, and rent and help the “general welfare”. According to the powerpoint, Federalists focused on the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

    Read More

  • The Federalist No.'s 10 and 51

    433 Words  | 1 Pages

    Madison states several things in his papers that will be used in the United States Constitution. He says: “authority will be derived from and dependent on the society, because society is broken into so many parts, interests and classes of citizens…”, ”government must protect the weak as well as themselves.”. “Principles of justice” and the “general good” of the people are also mentioned.

    Read More

  • Bill of Rights To Protect From Tyranny

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists, a name referring to a balance of power between the states and the national government. They argued for a federal system as in the Constitution. James Madison claimed that the Constitution was less dangerous that it looked because the separation of powers protected people from tyrannical abuse. The Federalists compile a group of essays, known as The Federalist Papers. In No. 51, Madison insisted that the division of powers and they system of checks an balances would protect Americans from the tyranny of centralized authority. He wrote that opposite motives among government office holders were good, and was one of the advantages of a big government with different demographics. In No. 10, he said that there was no need to fear factions, for not enough power would be given to the faction forming people; thus, they wouldn't become tyrannical. Hamilton, in No. 84, defended the Constitution with the case that the Constitution can be amended by representatives, who are there to represent the citizens' interests.

    Read More

  • Creation of the United States Constitution

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    Being very different from the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution gave the foundation for the legislature and kept each branch in check, assuring none would become too powerful. With the large and small states finally in agreement, ratifying the constitution was the next step. September of 1787 the final draft, containing around 4,200 words, was created by the Committee of Style. George Washington was the first to sign the document on September 17th. Although 39 of the original 55 signed the document, the delegates of Massachusetts were unwilling to approve the document. Nine of the thirteen states had to ratify the document in order for it to become law. To help gain popularity for the Constitution, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay made essays. There were 85 total essays and they were distributed in newspapers across the states. Those who supported the document were referred to as Federalist and those who did not support the document were known as Anti-Federalist. The first states to ratify the Constitution were Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Connecticut. Massachusetts still strongly opposed the document, saying that freedom of speech, religion, and press were lacking protection. An agreement was made in February 1788 that the document would be amended to include what was lacking upon ratification. With hesitation,

    Read More

  • Examples Of The Federalist Paper And Government Today

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Federalist Papers by James Madison, Madison discuses various aspects of government and how the government must be organized in order to better represent the people. In The Federalist, No. 10 Madison discusses the nature of political factions and parties and how they can affect the government and its practices. The Federalist, No. 51 discusses instead how the government being in branches helps maintain liberties and better protect the American people. The topics mentioned in The Federalist Papers continue to explain and structure our government today.

    Read More

  • Federalists and Anti-Federalists

    1659 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...he other hand, Madison discusses the topic of liberty in that it is what fuels factions. He says that removing liberty is one of the only ways to destroy a faction. He proceeds to state that this is not probable, and that factions can not be destroyed, but we must control their consequences in order to have a stable government. Madison believes that the Constitution preserves man's liberty by fairly representing them in a central government.

    Read More

  • Federalist Essay No 10 Analysis

    1747 Words  | 4 Pages

    James Madison was no stranger to opposition. In publishing an essay referred to today as Federalist Essay No. 10, Madison participated in a persuasive attempt to ratify the Constitution, a document he drafted and for which he is credited as its “Father”. Along with John Jay, who became the United States’ first Supreme Court Chief Justice, and Alexander Hamilton, who became the first Secretary of the Treasury, Madison articulates in his writing the necessity of the Constitution as a remedy for the extant ills of an infant nation recently freed from the grasp of distant monarchical rule. This young nation faltered under the first endeavor of organized government, the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were designed during a period of emerging

    Read More

  • Influence of the Founding Fathers

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Federalist Papers, there was a great concern for Factions. Factions are a political group that has one single major aim. They can be very powerful; which could be a positive and a negative thing depending on the goal they are trying to achieve. A fear that factions could actually control the government made the founding fathers uneasy. The Constitution did not support factions but could not abolish them either, because it would go against the liberty of citizens. Madison also did not support factions as he states in Federalist 10 that “The public good is often disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties”. Either way factions had to stay because abolishing factions meant abolishing liberty.

    Read More

  • The Conformity Of The Plan To Republican Plan Essay

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    On January 16th, 1788, James Madison published the famous federalist’s papers known as “The Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles”. In those pages of work, Madison first begins by defining what a republican form of government should be. This last should be a government that derives all its powers directly or indirectly, either or both ways, from the great body of the people. Second, it should be administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure for a limited period or during good behavior. He follows by answering critics concerning whether the proposed plan was federal or national, which was, a confederacy of States or a consolidation of states. Madison gives an explanation of how to determine if the character of the proposed government is federal or national. Using three objects; what was the foundation of its establishment, what were the sources of its powers and the operation and extent of them and by what authority were future changes to be m...

    Read More

  • Federal Government Reflection

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    First, the formation of the Articles of Confederation was the first constitution in the United States. The Articles of Confederation was not the best constitution out there since congress could make decisions, but had no power to enforce them. There was a requirement for unanimous approval before any modifications

    Read More

  • Pluralism

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Federalist No. 10, James Madison stresses that “measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.” Madison philosophized that a large republic, composed of numerous factions capable of competing with each other and the majority must exist in order to avoid tyranny of majority rule.# When Federalist No. 10 was published, the concept of pluralism was not widely used. However, the political theory that is the foundation for United States government was the influential force behind pluralism and its doctrines.

    Read More

  • Articles Of Confederation Dbq Analysis

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Federalism is the division of powers between the state and federal governments. This idea was developed by future president James Madison, who believed that the two governments should control each other as well as themselves in order to provide the people with double security to their rights and freedoms (Doc A). Both governments had the power to tax the people, loan money, set up courts, make laws, and enforce laws (Doc A). However, the federal government would have power over issues regarding the state as a whole such as military and foreign relations, while the state governments would have power over local issues such as establishing schools and deciding personal rights. Neither government would have a say in matters under the other government’s jurisdiction. This way neither the state nor federal government would have more power than the other, thus safeguarding against

    Read More

  • Competitive Federalism

    2725 Words  | 6 Pages

    Even before the Constitution was ratified, strong argument were made by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in the Federalist Papers urging the inclusion of a federal form of government to replace the failed confederation. In Federalist Paper No. 9 Hamilton states, “This form of government is a convention by which several smaller states agree to become members of a large one, which they intend to form. It is s kind of assemblage of societies that constitutes a new one, capable of increasing, by means of new associations, until they arrive to such a degree of power as to be able to provide for the security of a united body” (Usinfo.state.gov). The people of the United States needed a central government that was capable of holding certain powers over the states.

    Read More

More about Publius's Argument For The Constitution

Open Document