“Richard Henry Lee’s Objection to the Constitution” and James Madison’s “The Federalist No. 51” contend about the positive and negative effects of the Constitution. Both essays are important documents for early American history, and both contain valid points. James Madison, however, presents the better argument with his diplomatic, content, and logical approach. “The Federalist No. 51” begins with a question about how America can properly divide government power (Madison 1). Madison believes the Constitution is the answer because it gives the foundations and tools to keeping the power of the government for the people. The essay continues as the author to examine how the government will look under the Constitution. He proclaims that each government department will be able to operate independently. Members of these departments should have as little say as possible in who is appointed in the members of the others. Departments should also be as self-governing as …show more content…
When a men rule over other men, that can be dangerous and even deadly. The government must control the governed and control itself (Madison 1). A nation’s administration must depend on people for its direction, but there are some reservations that must be maintained. Two views are presented about why the federal system of America should follow a constitution. The first is that usurpations are protected with the division and distinctions in governmental departments (Madison 2). The second stresses the importance of guarding a society against oppression (Madison 2). If the majority is united, the minority is left unprotected without the Constitution. Madison ends the essay by restressing that the Constitution will protect the people of America because it protects people’s rights, limits government, and looks out for the minority. The Constitution must stand if this newfound American government wishes to
James Madison’s Federalist #10 outlines one of the key strengths of the U.S. Constitution; specifically, how our government guards against and uses factions. In particular, Madison focuses on the struggle between the majority and minority factions. He goes in depth to explain how the setup of the government prevents the development of an overbearing and abusive majority faction that might seek to deprive the minority faction of its rights. Madison begins by explaining that every argument or issue produces two sides, one of which will be numerically superior. Under direct democratic rule, this group would be able to impose their will upon the minority without any limitations; this could lead to impulsive decisions that ultimately are not in the public’s best interest.
But there essay were not really read then they are a widely read today. They were established to gain votes for a new constitution but it was also to inform the people of what would happen. Discuss Essay 10 In essay #10 Madison felt that there is no possible way to equally connect the states. He felt that everyone will follow their own crowd and want to do like people they feel are different.
Primary source readings 7.4 and 7.5 are two opposite ends of the spectrum , however they are both being written with the same concept in mind; the constitution. In both readings the men express a genuine concern for the people also. Yet, they say completely different things regarding the effect that the constitution will have on the country. In 7.4 James Madison reassures the people of New York that the constitution will keep the branches of government separated and prevent the central government from becoming too powerful. This is the exact fear that the American people have regarding the constitution.
The founding father’s idea when they created the Constitution was to prevent a centralized government. As expressed by James Madison in Federalist No. 51, they believe that the power surrendered by people would be divided between the federal and state governments, creating balance of power that would enable both governments to control each other. Over time, the balance of power between the federal and state governments has shifted in favor of the federal government and this has taken place with the help of the Constitution and by enactments of Congress. The role that Chief Justice John Marshall played in defining the power of the federal and state governments during the early 19th century is important to mention because he shaped the nation.
1. In Federalist Paper 10, Madison expressed concerns about factions and his desire to protect the minority (people with land) from the majority (those without). He stated that a large republic should be created so that tiny factions interest groups will have a difficult time uniting and becoming a majority that usurps the minority. Do you think this theory has withstood the test of time? Discuss instances in which it has/has not.
“The accumulation of all powers..in the same hands, whether of one or many (is) the very definition of tyranny.” (James Madison, Federalist Paper #47, 1788) ( Background Essay) This quote explains the reasoning for one of the framers, (B) Separation of Powers. The framers of the constitution were created to prevent tyranny and create a stronger government that would hold the nation together. Tyranny ultimately means harsh, absolute power in the hands of one individual-- like a king or dictator. The constitution guarded against tyranny in 4 ways: (A)Federalism, (B)Separation of Powers, (C)Checks & Balances, and (D)Small State-Large State.
In Federalist Paper #51 James Madison states, “We see it particularly displayed in all the subordinate distributions of power, where the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check on the other -- that the private interest of every individual may be a sentinel over the public rights..” James Madison is set on keeping the power divided because he believes it helps us see the growth in the
10 in an attempt to ratify the Constitution, the new form of government for the United States. In the Federalist Paper No. 10, Madison analyzed the way to deal with facts, made a comparison between a pure democracy and a republic, and made another comparison on whether a small government or a large government would be the best for America. He informed the people that there is not a way to completely get rid of factions, but there are ways to deal with them. One great way to deal with factions is by having a government that knows how to control and deal with their effects. Madison believes that a republic can do that job better than a democracy, because a democracy is a small society of people who can not admit there is a cure to factions.
[..][T]he present is an age of philosophy, and America the empire of reason.” This early reasoning guided them in developing a government that was not only more democratic but ensure separation of powers and proper legal review. The key concepts and ideas that were developed during these dramatic years, shaped our system of
In Federalist 39, James Madison, like Alexander Hamilton in the previous selections, attempts to alleviate the fears of proponents of states' rights that their interests would be submerged by the new Constitution. In this paper Madison separates the national from the federal characteristics of the Constitution, the term federal being used to describe those powers of the new government that essentially were shared by the states or reflected state interests. It is important to clarify for students the unusual use of the term federal by Madison to describe a system requiring an agreement among the states before certain actions could be taken, or where state interests are taken into account as in the representation of the states in the Senate.
The Federalist Papers No. 51 were written by either James Madison or Alexander Hamilton to address the various concerns the residents of New York had with the newly formed government provided to them and the other colonies via the Constitution, more specifically the purpose of the new structure of government, the separation into different branches of the government and each branch’s reliance on the people, and the system of checks and balances and duties placed on each branch among other things. The Federalist Papers No. 51 also explained the necessity of the government outlined in the Constitution and why the founding fathers found it best to arrange the new government the way they did. One of the main ideas addressed in the Federalist
Madison’s audience for this discussion would have been the people. The essays were written to persuade the New York delegation to the Constitutional Convention to vote for the Constitution. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether or not the framers established a republican form of government. In this essay Madison starts by defining and describing a republican government. A republican form of government is one which drives all powers directly or indirectly from the great body of people and administered by people holding their offices during good behavior.
The Constitution—the foundation of the American government—has been quintessential for the lives of the American people for over 200 years. Without this document America today would not have basic human rights, such as those stated in the Bill of Rights, which includes freedom of speech and religion. To some, the Constitution was an embodiment of the American Revolution, yet others believe that it was a betrayal of the Revolution. I personally believe that the Constitution did betray the Revolution because it did not live up to the ideals of the Revolution, and the views of the Anti-Federalists most closely embodied the “Spirit of ‘76.” During the midst of the American Revolution, authors and politicians of important documents, pamphlets, and slogans spread the basis for Revolutionary ideals and defined what is known as the “Spirit of ‘76”.
As he explains in the paper, people are not perfect, so a government is needed. A government would not be necessary if people were perfect, but due to imperfection of people, control is needed inside and out of the government. Madison suggests that a separation of powers within the government is to keep watch on the other departments, and while this is occurring, no department has an equal amount of self-defense. Each department will have its own set of actions and will be appointed by different methods of election. Madison held that independent departments can seldom have connection to each other, while they do have a connection to the
Justice Thurgood Marshall Response Justice Thurgood Marshall said in his “Reflections on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution”, “I do not believe the meaning of the Constitution was forever ‘fixed’ at the Philadelphia Convention. Nor do I find the wisdom, foresight, and sense of justice exhibited by the framers particularly profound. To the contrary, the government they devised was defective from the start, requiring several amendments, a civil war, and momentous social transformation to attain the system of constitutional government and its respect for the individual freedoms and human rights, that we hold as fundamental as today” (Marshall). In this passage of his essay, Judge Marshall is critical of the government that is