Why America Works.

“First, in a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself. Second. It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure” (The Federalist Paper No. 51). The American form of government works,in regards to this excerpt from Federalist Paper No.51, because it is not only split into departments, but two separate governments. A single republic has just bureaus whereas America’s compound republic is stabilized by both the federal and state governments. This creates a “double security” for the people who have given up their power so this governmental system will work. Each layer of the government is also split up into even more sections, to create a very complex system of checks and balances. The subdivisions control each other by sustaining their own power, hence keeping the system equal with competition. This competition also translates to the rights of minorities protected by the state governments. Each area of the United States has differing groups of minorities, so it is up to the states government to take the opportunity of selecting their own government subdivision that will maintain their state in a practical way. Under the federal government, the majority is ruled in a way that is accustomed to keep at the sections of the United States government from becoming indulgent. “From this view of the subject it may be concluded that a pure democracy, by which I mean a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person, can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will, in almost every case, be felt by a majority of the whole; a communication and concert result from the form of government itself; and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual. Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would, at the same time, be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions”(The Federalist Paper No.10). A pure democracy is one that administers every voice, including all members of society to create a perfect system. However, this is only theoretical and does not apply to America’s democracy. In this passage from Federalist Paper No. 10, the American form of government proves to work because it is not a pure democracy. America, not being a Utopia, could never administer every citizen’s wishes therefore never being able to support a pure democracy. The democracy in America is fool proof in that it keeps corrupt ideas from being leaked into the government. The perfect society described in the excerpt can never be attained because there will always be people trying to support immoral ideals, but America’s democracy does a fairly good job of keeping out this people.