James Madison Political Party Analysis

Father of the Constitution, Father of the Bill of Rights, 4th President of the United States and advocate for strong central government in the Federalist, James Madison warned the republic about the dangers of factions. Within a few short years, Madison was defending the the creation of the Jeffersonian-Republican Party in essays. Does his position against factions in his writings in the Federalist make him a hypocrite when he helps create a new political party system? Modern pundits would charge him as a flip-flopper, but experiences change perspectives and this new nation and its new system of government….*First of all, Madison would argue that when he used the terms factions or parties, that he wasn't referring to political parties as we

The effects should be controlled to combat the evil. This correlates with his writings in Federalist No. 10. A strong government can counteract the evils of party by ensuring political equality among all, preventing the government from playing favorites, treating all interest fairly and allowing parties to check each other, enlarging the sphere. He illustrates that the United States has always had periods where there were divisions among the people, such as during the revolution and during the time of the Constitution

Political parties can mobilize the nation as a movement for change. Zeal can be too emotional and partisan, but it can be good if used toward republican ideals. Madison believed that the creation of the Jeffersonian-Republican Party was a good thing because it fought for republican ideals. The Federalists, whom he called Anti-republicans, he charged with deserting true republican principles (Reichley 49). Most political societies will have two natural societies, he explained, the haves and the have-nots. The haves supported those who had power and money and would protect their power and money, using power and force, thinking that the have-nots were incapable of governing themselves. The Jeffersonian-Republican Party represented the have-nots, the great body of the people (Reichley 43). Since the party that Madison helped create was representing the majority of the people, it supports his argument in Federalist No. 51 ¨a coalition of a majority of the whole could seldom take place on any other principles than those of justice and the general good.” The majority of people are normally right, so if the majority of people were against the Federalists, then the Jeffersonian-Republicans were filling a republican