"Those who hold and those who are without property have ever formed distinct interests in society. Those who are creditors, and those who are debtors, fall under a like discrimination. A landed interest, a manufacturing interest, a mercantile interest, a moneyed interest, with many lesser interests, grow up of necessity in civilized nations, and divide them into different classes, actuated by different sentiments and views. The regulation of these various and interfering interests forms the principal task of modern legislation, and involves the spirit of party and faction in the necessary and ordinary operations of the government." (James Madison, 1787).
In "The Federalist No. 10" written by James Madison, he speaks of how people of different backgrounds and interests are what create nations. However, people of different interests will have different views and opinions of religion, legislature, class structure, etc. In turn, the civilians will "divide them[selves] into different classes", and while major issues such as discrimination will negatively impact how the people work towards their individual interests and goals, a good government's key task is to provide equality to the people so they can fulfill their interests to the greatest extent possible. And so, today, the American form of government, a republic, survives because the people agree with their government's actions and decisions. There is representation of the people within legislative positions. There are different branches of government to prevent foul play. There is a house and a congress revolved around the people. It is as Abraham Lincoln stated nearly a century after Madison's essay was written, "[A] government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" (Lincoln, Gettysburg Address 1863). And so, the American government still stands and will continue to stand because the people who are governed are involved in the government itself.
"The two great points of difference between a democracy and a republic are: first, the delegation of the government, in the latter, to a small number of citizens elected by the rest; secondly, the greater number of citizens, and greater sphere of country, over which the latter may be extended" (James Madison 1787).
In the same essay, "The Federalist No. 10", Madison continues to explain why a democracy is inferior to a republic. A republic is where power is endowed to officials selected by the people. A democracy is where power is split onto all citizens of a nation. While a democracy my seem just and fair, a nation run under a republic is more logical and Madison writes why. Mainly, it is because a democracy gives power to too many people. Every citizen voting to pass one simple law in legislature will take too much time. It is simply much easier and faster to have officials who are elected by the people represent their views. In a long term point of view, a republic assures safety and security of the nation and its people. As a nation grows, it expands the its population will exponentially rise. Within a republic, a greater population may increase the amount of representatives by a small amount. However, a democratic nation will find many issues if its population has significantly grown. A significant reason to why the American government works today simply revolves around the type of government its founding fathers had chosen: a republic (not a democracy).
"In order to lay a due foundation for that separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government, which to a certain extent is admitted on all hands to be essential to the preservation of liberty, it is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the others" (James Madison, 1788).
A year later, Madison has written over 40 more essays and has writes about how the government must balance itself. Entitled "The Federalist No. 51", Madison explains how branches of government must act to coexist and balance power between themselves in order to preserve a greater good. This greater good is better known as the natural, unalienable rights of the people. The rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And so he states that each branch must have its own individual powers and they should not interfere with each other. Today, the American government is similar as it has 3 branches of government; a judicial, legislative, and executive branch. Each of these branches are granted unique powers. Like Madison stated, each branch may not interfere with other branches. However, there is one exception. Breaking away from Madison's ideas, each branch has the right to "check other branches", which basically means that they can deny the actions of another branch if it deems to be unconstitutional. Our government today works by taking on a key idea that Madison has brought up, and expanding on to it.
"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" (James Madison, 1788).
Madison continues to talk about the different splits in power in America in "Federalist No. 51". He displays the differences in different types of republic and how the form of republic that Americans has undertaken is superior to a single republic. By splitting the power of the government, it cannot grow corrupt to the extent where it can easily destroy a nation without being stopped. Because Madison talks about how a government is to be divided into separate governments which are then to be even further divided, there is more security given to the people and prevent the destruction of the government through itself. In America today, we can see these two governments as the federal government and the state government whom share similar ideals yet differ in how they work. They are given ways to control each other and check their power, similar to the branches of government, in order to protect the citizens. In this way, the government provides security to itself, the nation, and most importantly, the people.
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