“Why does the American form of government work?”

10:

No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity. With equal, nay with greater reason, a body of men are unfit to be both judges and parties at the same time; yet what are many of the most important acts of legislation, but so many judicial determinations, not indeed concerning the rights of single persons.

A: Madison meant that if someone were to judge his own cause, his thoughts would seem to be correct because it is their thoughts and not someone else's. A group of men are incapable of being both the judge and party at the same time because of the important acts of legislation. Since they all represent themselves, others are not concerned about.

The other point of difference is, the greater number of citizens and extent of territory which may be brought within the compass of republican than of democratic government; and it is this circumstance principally which renders factious combinations less to be dreaded in the former than in the latter. The smaller the society, the fewer probably will be the distinct parties and interests composing it; the fewer the distinct parties and interests, the more frequently will a majority be found of the same party; and the smaller the number of individuals composing a majority, and the smaller the compass within which they are placed, the more easily will they concert and execute their plans of oppression.

A: Madison was talking about how the smaller the society, the fewer the parties and interests of others making it. If there are few distinct parties and interests, they will most likely agree on most things. If there are smaller numbers of individuals represent a majority, their chances of executing plans are increased.

A: The government's final act is to deal with justice. An example of how this works is when there is a bank robbery. first the police come, then the swat team comes. The swat team represents the final act. Without a government, people will dominate over others. The government provides a symbol of power to those without strength.

52:

The other point of difference is, the greater number of citizens and extent of territory which may be brought within the compass of republican than of democratic government; and it is this circumstance principally which renders factious combinations less to be dreaded in the former than in the latter. The smaller the society, the fewer probably will be the distinct parties and interests composing it; the fewer the distinct parties and interests, the more frequently will a majority be found of the same party; and the smaller the number of individuals composing a majority, and the smaller the compass within which they are placed, the more easily will they concert and execute their plans of oppression.

A: The more citizens there are leads to having extension in territory. The less citizens there are the chance of having distinct parties and interests having a majority are increased. The less amount of individuals leads to plans of oppression to be executed or concerted.

Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit. In a society under the forms of which the stronger faction can readily unite and oppress the weaker, anarchy may as truly be said to reign as in a state of nature, where the weaker individual is not secured against the violence of the stronger; and as, in the latter state, even the stronger individuals are prompted, by the uncertainty of their condition, to submit to a government which may protect the weak as well as themselves; so, in the former state, will the more powerful factions or parties be gradnally induced, by a like motive, to wish for a government which will protect all parties, the weaker as well as the more powerful

Why Our Government Works

The Federalist papers number 10 and number 51 were fundamental in shaping our government today. Madison argues for a more centralized powerful government in these argumentative essays. Within these writings are the true reasons why our American government works. Our government is based on the ideas of separation of powers. Federalist paper number 51 deals with the separation of powers so that no one faction or political party can take control of the government. It also states that each branch of government should be equal in power and be separated.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”. This quote argues that the branches should have distinct powers and that the members of these branches should have no say in the election of members of the other branches. This is to make sure that no one branch of government can control the rest of the government.

“No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgement, and not improbably, corrupt his integrity. with equal, nay with greater reason, a body of men are unfit to be both judges and parties at the same time: yet what are many of the most important acts of legislation, but so many judicial determination, not indeed concerning the rights of single persons, but concerning the rights of large bodies of citizens? and what are the different classes of legislators but advocates and parties to the causes which they determine? This passage from Federalist papers number 10 talks about the separation of powers in the branches of government. Madison reasons that one man should not be able to be his own judge in principle. This applies to one branch taking control of all the others. This one branch could decide what is legal, make legislation, and enforce it. This to them is corrupting and concerning that one body could alter the rights of so many citizens. Ultimately, separation of powers is what makes our government work.

Why does the American form of government work?

Federalist Essay no. 10

“No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity.”

No one can honestly judge their selves, there needs to be other parties involved. This not only applies to a single man but also to a larger political party. If people/governments were allowed to judge themselves as they wished then the country would be in chaos as they would find a way to justify their wrongdoings to themselves, without having to worry about what others thought of them. So for example in a court scenario there are a number of people on the jury who ultimately decide if the defendant is guilty or not, therefore meaning the verdict is more than a single persons opinion.

Federalist Essay no. 51

‘The different governments will control each other, at the same time that

each will be controlled by itself.”

Each different government is allowed to control themselves and make their own decisions. However, they have to be aware of what the others are doing and to correct them when they are wrong. This also prevents one different sector gaining more power than the others and controlling them all, so even though they are separate they work as a unit to guide each other.

Federalist Essays No. 10 & 51: Why the Government works

The Federalist  No.10

The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished; as they continue to be the favorite and fruitful topics from which the adversaries to liberty derive their most specious declamations. The valuable improvements made by the American constitutions on the popular models, both ancient and modern, cannot certainly be too much admired; but it would be an unwarrantable partiality, to contend that they have as effectually obviated the danger on this side, as was wished and expected. Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.

This essay, the first of Madison's contributions to the series, was a rather long development of the theme that a well-constructed union would break and control the violence of faction, a "dangerous vice" in popular governments.As defined by Madison, a faction was a number of citizens, whether a majority or minority, who were united and activated "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  a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.

There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.

There were two ways of removing the causes of factions, or political parties. The first was to destroy the liberty essential to their existence. This remedy would be worse than the disease. The second was to give everyone the same opinions, passions, and interests. This was impossible. Woven into the fabric of all societies, deeply planted in the very nature of man, were conflicting ideas, interests, and passions. The greatest source of factions had always been the various and unequal distribution of property, said Madison:

The Federalist No. 51

To what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places. Without presuming to undertake a full development of this important idea, I will hazard a few general observations, which may perhaps place it in a clearer light, and enable us to form a more correct judgment of the principles and structure of the government planned by the convention.

James Madison begins his famous federalist paper by explaining that the purpose of this essay is to help the readers understand how the structure of the proposed government makes liberty possible. Each branch should be, in Madison's opinion, mostly independent. To assure such independence, no one branch should have too much power in selecting members of the other two branches. If this principle were strictly followed, it would mean that the citizens should select the president, the legislators, and the judges.

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. Were this principle rigorously adhered to, it would require that all the appointments for the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should be drawn from the same fountain of authority, the people, through channels having no communication whatever with one another. Perhaps such a plan of constructing the several departments would be less difficult in practice than it may in contemplation appear. Some difficulties, however, and some additional expense would attend the execution of it. Some deviations, therefore, from the principle must be admitted.

Dividing power helps to check its growth in any one direction, but power cannot be divided absolutely equally. In the republican form of government, the legislative branch tends to be the most powerful. That is why the framers divided the Congress into two branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and provided for a different method of election in each branch. Further safeguards against legislative tyranny may be necessary.community."

By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or

Why the American Government Works, but Not as Efficiently as it Could

The question at hand is how, according to Federalist Papers No. 10 and 51, the US Government works. The answer that is not only prevalent in our current governmental issues like our Congress literally shutting down in 2013, but also  apparent in Madison's writings is that our government has long term flaws, flaws that result in an inefficiency and discordance.

In Federalist Essay 10, Madison expresses his support for the Constitution, because it keeps factions in control. Madison describes factions as " a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community". The factions that Madison are talking about sound a lot like our current day political parties. In 1796 when our nation's first president warned us about forming political parties, he voiced several of the concerns that Madison also touched upon. Factions or groups of people with similar opinions will always exist, because "there are [only] two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests". Both of these are impossible, as our nation cannot exist without liberty as our basis. Political parties have the liberty to form, to speak, to publish. Human nature is to agree and disagree, and it is what causes these factions to be passionate and to organize. The main reason why factions limit the U.S. government is that our politicians are limited by the opinions of their party in regards to controversial issues. Instead of candidates being able to campaign with there own personal opinions, they may feel pressure to fit inside a box labeled either Republican or Democrat. With the presence of such large factions, we as voters lose some of the conservative to liberal spectrum we would be able to get without such a hardened bi partisan system. While the existence of political parties is not an inherently bad thing itself; factions after a certain point become too wholly representative and shifts the focus of a leader away from personal beliefs and onto trying to best represent the beliefs of their party. 


In Federalist Essay No. 51, Madison expresses why checks and balances are needed, essentially to ensure that no one individual or group becomes too powerful. "In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." This balance between power of the government and obedience of the government that Madison describes in one that we have not yet reached. As he states, it's easy for a government to lay down law on citizens, but it becomes much more difficult when it comes to our own government self evaluating and realizing when they've failed in an area. As patriotic as our country, it is still important to recognize when we as a country have failed on a front. For out government to be as efficient as possible, it also needs to recognize its faults when something goes wrong and improve from there. The archetype of a politician nowadays is someone who s dishonest and power-hungry and Madison touches on just that as he digs deep into the very root of why we need all of this structure in the first place, as "if men were angels, no government would be necessary". This also speaks volumes as to why our government continues to be largely imperfect, because corruption and greed in the humankind will continue to exist in our nation's leaders. The best that we can do is put in place safeguards to ensure that too much power does not even have the opportunity to fall into the hands of someone who could have these faults. 

Our government is a great one, one that has been designed to be successful in upholding law, serving justice, and improving the quality of life of U.S citizens, and for the most part it is. However, in Madison's Federalist Essays 10 and 51 he touches upon some very valid points on why the U.S government does not work as efficiently and ideally as it should. 

Common Interest Towards the Greater Good

     "By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a 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." (Federalist No.10).
     Madison portrays his point that if a group of people, minority or majority, are united and have common goals that they will be able to decide whats best for the community. By assuring that all factions of the US share commonalities in their personal needs, it makes the chances of a certain faction gaining more power and thinking only for themselves. People are selfish by nature and to make one another work together a nation must appeal to what the people want. without common interest or representatives a government would fail.
     "In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this inconveniency is to divide the legislature into different branches; and to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action, as little connected with each other as the nature of their common functions and their common dependence on the society will admit." (Federalist No.51)
     In Madison's Federalist No.51 he explains the problem of a certain faction of government gaining more power than others and how to solve such problem. A great fear with all types of government is that those in power will take advantage of it and over rule the common people. The US created a system of checks and balances to combat the possibility of this happening. This system works first by having multiple branches of government. Next, by making sure each branch has substantial differences so that if one branch took over the other wouldn't benefit. Lastly, this system relies on the fact that each branch has certain powers over the other branches. This way, if any branch begins to become too powerful, other branches can check them, creating a balance.

“Were this principle rigorously adhered to, it would require that all the appointments for the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should be drawn from the same fountain of authority, the people, through channels having no communication whatever with one another” “The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place.” Federalist 51

This works for the American government and makes it work because it puts the people in charge. It let’s the people make the decisions though the government still does all of the legal decision making it helps the people feel as if they are more involved and have all the power. One’s interests must be constitutional to the government meaning that American citizens must always follow the government laws, which makes a great nation because it keeps people in order. This is pretty much saying that one must follow the law and the new laws or interests one proposes must follow what is constitutionally correct.

“The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government.” Federalist 10

This makes the American government work because it protects everybody’s right to property. It allows one to buy and sell property to their own advantage and use and doesn’t allow the government to steal their property away when it wants or needs it. This system is a check and balances system for the people and it eliviates stress and pressure on the people to make their land profitable in fear of losing it.