James Madison's comment in The Federalist Papers saying that "if men were angels, no government would be necessary," though not the most flattering vision of humanity, is an unbiased and honest viewpoint. Time and time again, it can be seen that humans do have a darker side that is repressed, in part, by morals, societal constraints, and, to a lesser degree, by the government, whatever type of government that may be. Thus, through historical examples, fictional scenarios in works of literature, and my own experiences, I have found that James Madison has spoken the truth, no matter how severe that truth may be. Whenever there has been a lack of government or strong authority to maintain order, the stronger members of society start oppressing and exploiting the weaker ones.
A famous Enlightenment thinker and man of many talents once mused, “The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.” Thomas Jefferson was evidently one of the few people who have had a profound impact on history, and he helped lay down the foundations of one of the today's most powerful nations. His words have more than just a ring of truth to them. The role of government is not to be loved by the people; instead, the good government plays a role in repressing what can only be called the darker side of human nature and trying to create a more peaceful and orderly society. People have never loved their governments, and indeed, many of them disapprove of their government, but the fact of the matter is that, without government, civilization would be at a standstill. As much as people do not like to admit it, the concept of government has enable...
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...hough many people are not as satisfied with governments as they would like to be, some form of government, no matter how primitive, is necessary to maintain the humanity of a society and to protect many of the citizens who might not be able to do so themselves. Madison’s view of government as a necessity to shield humans from themselves is a truthful, albeit blunt, depiction of the human race. If people were indeed perfect and the world were Utopia, there would be no need for government because there would be no heinous crimes such as murder or arson or theft. However, in actuality, humans are not, have never been, and probably will never be perfect beings, and the world in which humanity lives is not paradise. Hence, it is clearly evident that humans need government to ensure a safe, satisfying life that allows for the prospering and continuation of the human race.
The republic should be able to, “guard the society against the oppression of its rulers,” but also “guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part.” If a nation is not primarily run by the people, then the government has the ability to oppress them by implementing taxes and laws and revoking basic rights without their consent (as witnessed in the events preceding the Revolutionary War). The separate state governments did not allow every person to have a voice for their country even though “A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government.” However, if too much authority is in the hands of the citizens, then, “the rights of the minority will be insecure,” because majority groups will be, “united by a common interest.” One analysis of these rights states that the “community will” (good intention of the government) is, “independent of the simple majority,” and that a government placing “power behind a group in society working against the public good” would be detrimental. Madison’s intention discussing factions is that we must strike a balance between representing the common interests of the people while not excluding minorities and placing trust in an unjust popular interest. The government of today takes into account Madison’s extensive concept of factionalism which includes the Republican, Democratic, and
The crucial issue of Madison’s time was the right of the people. The people should be involved in their government, and know about how their government can work with them.
Madison does not wish to reach the True, the Good, or the Beautiful in Article 10. He simply wishes to establish a system in which the detrimental effects of factions on the whole government are reduced and kept in check. The form of government he proposes himself is not entirely just, as the formation of factions within the government can be seen through political parties. If there are two groups of politicians with differing ideals concerning the rights of property holders, one for the large property owners and the other for the small property owners, we see here the development of a more refined faction under the guise of the label ‘party.’ Madison is not adopting a view of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful; he is simply offering a pragmatic solution, the ratification of a new constitution, to the problems caused by factions and does not present actual solutions to the specific problems.
James Madison, an American statesman and political theorist that was present at the constitutional convention. Many of the ideas proposed by Madison are part of the reason that the Constitution has withstood the test of time. Madison was ultimately prepared to deal with one of the biggest problems this new government would face in his eyes, factions. Factions, which as defined by Madison are “a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or 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” (Madison 156). Madison addresses various ways that he sees factions can be cured of its mischiefs such as removing a faction’s causes and also controlling their effects. Madison points out that this is would potentially create an even bigger problem than the factions themselves by stating, “Liberty is to faction, what air is to fire, an ailment, without which it instantly expires” (Madison 156) Madison also stated that the way for a government to remove the cause of faction was either to destroy the liberty that causes factions to exist in the first place or to give every citizen the same beliefs and opinions. Madison deemed this impractical, because it is nearly impossible to give everyone in a given place the same opinions and destroying the liberty would take away the very thing that the colonies fought for 4 years earlier. The fact is Madison knew that the country wouldn’t be able to count on a well-educated statesman to be there any time a faction gets out of hand. Madison knew the only viable way to keep factions under control is not to get rid of factions entirely but to set a r...
Continuing the metaphor of faction as a disease, Madison labels “[a] republic” as “the cure for which we are seeking”. Madison notes that a republican government differs from pure democracy in that the delegation of the government is smaller and can thus achieve efficient action. Another contrast lies also in the extent to which a republic has influence over a “greater sphere of country”. The passing of public views “through the medium of a chosen body of citizens” allows for refinement of ideas due to the influence of elected officials’ wisdom and is “more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves”. To protect against the caprices of wicked men, the number of representatives of the people will be a quantity that stymies the influence of the few but is able to, as Madison states, “guard against the confusion of a multitude”. Madison then references his belief in the common sense and good will of men in that “the suffrages of the people” is likely to result in the election of men most deserving and fit for their roles as representatives and lawmakers. Madison presents an avowal that counters one of the Anti-Federalists’ major grievances: “[t]he federal Constitution forms a happy combination” with “the great and aggregate interests being referred to the national, the local and particular to the State legislatures”; Anti-Federalists feared that a stronger
Madison begins by stating that a "well constructed union" will be able to break apart the violence of factions. He states this is the vice that democratic government has fallen prey to. Democracies are not stable and that the source of this instability is a self interested majority:
The character of the United States is illuminated by the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wanted to build a government where people are free and where the government “derives its power from the consent of the governed and it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it” (Jefferson, 247). T...
The primary problem Madison addresses in this essay is that Madison felt that factions could be dangerous, meaning violent and could cause damage. One of the stronger arguments favoring the Constitution establishes a government very capable of controlling these factions.
Consistent to eighteenth-century ethos left the Constitution-makers with great faith in universals. They believed in an inexorable view of a self-interested man. Feeling that all me were naturally inclined to be bad they sought a compromising system of checks and balances for government. This was bolstered by the scientific work by Newton, ?in which metaphors sprang as naturally to mens minds as did biological metaphors in the Darwinian atmosphere of the late nineteenth century.? Therefore Madison and others thought to squelch the possibly dangerous majority by setting up a large number and variety of local interests, so that the people will ?be unable to concert and carry into effect their scheme of oppression.? And thus, chief powers went to the propertied.
...he other hand, Madison discusses the topic of liberty in that it is what fuels factions. He says that removing liberty is one of the only ways to destroy a faction. He proceeds to state that this is not probable, and that factions can not be destroyed, but we must control their consequences in order to have a stable government. Madison believes that the Constitution preserves man's liberty by fairly representing them in a central government.
James Madison, who glorified the benefits of the system of government outlined in the Constitution, wrote the tenth essay in the Federalist Papers. In his essay, Madison advocated a republic system of government instead of a democracy because it “promises the cure for which [they are] seeking.” According to Madison, in a republic, unlike in a democracy, a “small number of citizens [are] elected by the rest.” In other words, one difference between a republic and a democracy is the fact that a republic is based on representation, while a democracy is based on the rule of the majority (mob rule). Madison favors the republic form of government because representation (republic) recognized the inalienable rights of all individuals, while democracy is only concerned with the views or needs of the majority. Therefore, in Madison’s mind, a democracy is an unsuitable government, especially for the United States; Madison thought democracy is just handing power over to the ...
In conclusion, Madison thinks the human nature is ambitious, and the fixed outcome of human ambitions is people create factions to promote their own interests. In the case of preventing corrupt or mischief by factions, he believes majority and pure democracy is not a solution. The method he advocated is a large republic with checking system. He converts human ambition to provide internal checks and balances in government. His point of view stimulated the approval of the proposal of the United States Constitution.
We often wonder about the importance of government. Is it necessary? Does it really benefit society? The answer is yes. Many countries have diverse forms of government such as totalitarian, monarchy, theocracy, and much more. The United States of America specifically runs a democratic type of government. A democratic government gives power to the people. Citizens over the age of eighteen are allowed to elect leaders based on their individual opinions through voting rights. The main purpose of the American government is, to protect people’s inalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness as our Founding Fathers intended.
Is the purpose of government today, similar to that of philosophers of the past, or has there been a shift in political thought? This essay will argue that according to Machiavelli’s The Prince, the purpose of government is to ensure the stability of the state as well as the preservation of the established ruler’s control, and that the best form of government should take the form of an oligarchy. In contrast, in his book, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes argues that the purpose of government should be to preserve the peace and security of men and, that the best form of government would be an absolute monarchy which would sanction such conditions. This essay will utilize themes of glory, material advantage, peace and stability to illustrate
He believed that a government’s purpose is to protect us, but society is the positive that can come out of people working together to accomplish something. He stated, “society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its bests state is but a necessary evil…” Paine believed that government is an evil that is much needed, whereas society is a blessing that comes with having a government. Paine thought that the government’s job was to protect the people, their property, and freedom. Paine used an example to better appeal to the readers; he described a small group of people that had been left to fend for them in a secluded new part of the world. Obstacles such as hunger, labor, shelter, and even death eventually resulted in the formation of government and laws. He continued to describe how people would unavoidably become a society that needs government in order to function properly. Thomas Paine’s ideas about the relationship between government and society led him to believe that colonists should be the ones who create and execute laws, rather than a monarchist government. “In this first parliament,” Paine stated, “every man, by nature, will have a seat.” Paine wanted representation by the colonists instead of the King and