Yet Another Reason Why America Works

"In the next place, as each representative will be chosen by a greater number of citizens in the large than in the small republic, it will be more difficult for unworthy candidates to practice with success the vicious arts by which elections are too often carried; and the suffrages of the people being more free, will be more likely to centre in men who possess the most attractive merit and the most diffusive and established characters"(The Federalist Paper No. 10).

Madison, in this passage, first offers the idea that the ratio of population to representation will be equal throughout America. He then goes on to reason as to why this is the best way to create a non-corrupt government system. Equal representation ensures that "unworthy candidates" are weeded out of the system so that those present ideas backed up with proper knowledge will have a greater chance to shine. The representatives that gained their position by merit will be able to practice their susperior ideals for the citizens they represent, as well as the citizens under a unsuitable candidate.

"There are but two methods of providing against this evil: the one by creating a will in the community independent of the majority that is, of the society itself; the other, by comprehending in the society so many separate descriptions of citizens as will render an unjust combination of a majority of the whole very improbable, if not impracticable..... The second method will be exemplified in the federal republic of the United States. Whilst all authority in it will be derived from and dependent on the society, the society itself will be broken into so many parts, interests, and classes of citizens, that the rights of individuals, or of the minority, will be in little danger from interested combinations of the majority"(The Federalist Paper No.51).

There are two methods of securing minority rights, but the one that the American government uses in the federal government is the most efficient. In America there are so many different minority groups that it is almost impossible for a vast majority to form in any one section of the country. When this translates into the democratic side of things, the categories of interests will balance out the government so there is always a compromise. This also leads to many conflicts where, although the deal is equally bad for everyone, the minority groups become greedy and want to make everyone except their ideas. This turns out to be another reason why the American government works, because there are so many of these groups competing that no majority group could ever form.