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The federalist essay 10
The federalist essay 10
The federalist essay 10
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Khalil Franklin; Learning Journal 5-6 (COMBINED) Between 1780 and1787, individual liberty and rights changed as federalists stopped believing the first Articles of confederation, although anti-federalist were reluctant of the ratification, they pushed for the introduction of the bill of rights. With the ratification people had a voice in the matter, which in turn, emphasized popular democratic tendencies in the United States after the Revolution. Citizen’s involvement in this ratification during the 18th century contributed to the growth of popular democracy in government. In order to free society of forming factions elites Madison provides two methods of eliminating them. First, Madison states, by eliminating liberty which is the main component of factions. And second by providing citizens with similar opinions, passions, and interests (Federalist No. 10, Madison). The author promotes elite democracy in that his two methods of curing factions is by promoting elite opinion, passions, and interest should be the favorable lifestyle of society. He states, “two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by …show more content…
10 is an accurate display of elite democracy in that the author describes the ills of democracy ability to develop factions of violence through popular democracy. By faction, Madison explains, “By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community” (Federalist No. 10, Madison). The unequal distribution of property is what Madison argues is the source of faction formation. It divides society into property owners and non-property owners. Madison’s argument brings to light elite status within society can produce negative outcomes, such as debtors owing creditors creating a form of discrimination of the
During and after the turmoil of the American Revolution, the people of America, both the rich and the poor, the powerful and the meek, strove to create a new system of government that would guide them during their unsure beginning. This first structure was called the Articles of Confederation, but it was ineffective, restricted, and weak. It was decided to create a new structure to guide the country. However, before a new constitution could be agreed upon, many aspects of life in America would have to be considered. The foremost apprehensions many Americans had concerning this new federal system included fear of the government limiting or endangering their inalienable rights, concern that the government’s power would be unbalanced, both within its branches and in comparison to the public, and trepidation that the voice of the people would not be heard within the government.
Madison speaks of the problems of the present attempts at a new government saying “our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and 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 over-bearing majority”.
After the American Revolution, America had earned it’s freedom from Britain. In order to govern this new country the Articles of Confederation was created. This document was flawed by the colonists fear of putting too much power into a central government. Knowing the document needed to be fixed a constitutional convention was called. The document created at this convention has been our constitution ever since. But even the Constitution was meet with criticism. One major concern when writing the constitution was how to protect the citizens rights. The Constitution did this through the preamble, the legislative process, the limit of presidential terms, the judicial branch, and the bill of rights.
In 1789, the Confederation of the United States, faced with the very real threat of dissolution, found a renewed future with the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. This document created a structure upon which the citizens could build a future free of the unwanted pitfalls and hazards of tyrannies, dictatorship, or monarchies, while securing the best possible prospects for a good life. However, before the establishment of the new United States government, there was a period of dissent over the need for a strong centralized government. Furthermore, there was some belief that the new constitution failed to provide adequate protection for small businessmen and farmers and even less clear protection for fundamental human rights.
In today 's government political parties are a large part of government operations and how decisions are made in the government. In Madison 's The Federalist, No.10 Madison talked about how factions can control and cause harm to the government. A solution to this control was the use of a republic in order to limit the power of factions and keep them from having complete control. In our government however, factions have become a major part of the government system with political parties having complete control over the different branches of government. The use of this two political party system creates many problems within our government as the two parties fight for control over legislature and control over the government. Despite using a republic system as Madison mentions in his paper, factions continue to control and affect our government today. Madison 's views on government branches also affects our government today. Our government being in branches does help our government from being affected by corruption by each branch being independent from each other. These independent branches help prevent corruption by each branch having independent leadership and control and not being affected by the views of each other. At the same time these branches having unique views and control can lead to problems as the branches of government may not be able to interact properly with
The new American arrangement of popular government depended vigorously on political gatherings, so when the Democratic gathering parted, over the same subjugation issue bringing about turmoil surrounding,...
Madison begins perhaps the most famous of the Federalist papers by stating that one of the strongest arguments in favor of the Constitution is the fact that it establishes a government capable of controlling the violence and damage caused by factions. Madison defines that factions are groups of people who gather together to protect and promote their special economic interests and political opinions. Although these factions are at odds with each other, they frequently work against the public interests, and infringe upon the rights of others.
. Factions can be present in many different settings in society. They can be a passion for different opinions on religions, government, or war. Madison claims that "the most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property. Those who hold and those who are without property have ever been formed distinct interests in society." The modern government includes factions as necessary operations, and the regulation of these interest groups form the foremost assignment of legislation.
Next, Madison explains the reasons why unequal distribution of property leads to factions. Under the liberal society, people can freely practice their own faculties and experiment of life. Because people make decisions based on their reasoning and self-interest, they will focus on what is beneficial to them. When a group of people come together because they have the same interest, it becomes a faction. According to Madison’s writing “By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion or of interest… (Page 63)” He believes the unequal distribution of property will divide people into different group and eventually lead citizens to factions. Moreover, because faction is made by people who hold sim...
There are many different ways in which the Enlightenment affected the Declaration of Independence and the U.S Constitution. One way was the by the idea of a Social Contract; an agreement by which human beings are said to have abandoned the "state of nature" in order to form the society in which they now live. HOBBES, LOCKE, and J.J. ROUSSEAU each developed differing versions of the social contract, but all agreed that certain freedoms had been surrendered for society's protection and that the government has definite responsibilities to its citizens. Locke believed that governments were formed to protect the natural rights of men, and that overthrowing a government that did not protect these rights was not only a right, but also an obligation. His thoughts influenced many revolutionary pamphlets and documents, including the Virginia Constitution of 1776, and the Declaration of Independence. The Bill of Rights was created as a listing of the rights granted to citizens, the Bill of Rights serves to protect the people from a too powerful government. These civil rights granted to U.S. Citizens are included in the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, Locke’s ideas about checks and balances and the division of church and state were later embodied in the U.S. Constitution as well. The Constitution replaced a more weakly organized system of government as outlined under the Articles of Confederation.
The pluralistic scholar David Truman notes that “the proliferation of political interest groups [is] a natural and largely benign consequence of economic development” (Kernell 2000, 429). That is, as American economic development increases, in the form of industry, trade, and technology, factions are produced in order to protect special interests. Factions have a large platform on which to find support from various political parties, committees, subcommittees, and the courts, as well as federal, state, and local governments (Kernell 2000, 429).
This essay defines the theory of “elitism” and “pluralism” and how these two theories compare. First, this essay describes the theory of “elitism”. Then, it provides some historical events that we’ve studied in class that support the theory of “elitism” in the political process. Next, this essay describes the theory of “pluralism”. Then, it provides some historical events that we’ve studied in class that support the theory of “pluralism” in the political process. Finally, this reading response explains how these two theories compare.
Among the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction. A faction, as commonly understood, is a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passions or of interest, adverse to the rights of there citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community. There are two methods of curing the mischief of faction: the one, by removing its causes, and the other, by controlling its effects. To attack the causes of faction, there are two possible approaches, either destroy liberty, which is essential to its existence, or by give every citizen the same opinions, passions and interests. Obviously, in this case, the possible remedies are far more intolerable than the disease. The latent causes of faction are inherent traits of human kind, and therefore faction, to one degree or another, appears in almost every facet of society. To ameliorate society of this problem, it is necessary that no man have the ability to be a judge in his own cause because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably corrupt his integrity. Even if some superlative people would be able to circumvent this trait, the fact that those in this position will not always be superlative negates this exception. By this reasoning, the causes of faction cannot be removed; and that relief is only to be sought in means of controlling its effects. If a faction consists of less than a majority, relief is supplied by the republican principle, which enables the majority to defeat its sinister views by regular vote; while this may lead to inefficient governing and the convulsion of society, it will effectively deter the violence of faction. The problem from there progresses to one of keeping a powerful majority in check so that it can not trample the interests of the population as a whole. For this reason, a pure democracy is without competence to remedy faction; only in a republic, representative democracy, is the prospect for the deterrence of faction present.
Opinions can be educated or uneducated. Individuals, regardless of their educational level, are self driven. They want the best for themselves and their family. The poor without the real-estate or ownership of land are more concerned for good health, themselves, and their families. Wealthier, property owners are more concerned with conserving their property and with the privacy that it gives. James Madison wrote in the tenth Federalist Papers that the “nature of man” causes factions and that the “But the most common and durable source of factions had be the various and unequal distribution of property.” People have a tendency to vote with their
Both Jean-Jacques Rousseau and James Madison shared a profound fear of factionalism. Rousseau envisioned a disastrous scenario in which “particular interests,” or the private desires of citizens, overtake the “general will,” or the singular will of all citizens that is only concerned with the prosperity of the whole. Madison calls factionalism a “mortal disease” that America must find a way to overcome. In order to prevent such factionalism, both authors propose various solutions to grapple with it.