Simone Lawson
The United States Constitution was drafted and signed by some of the wealthiest people in the colonies, and they expected this elite class to continue guiding the young nation. The Founding Fathers were wary of direct democracy, which they saw as mob rule. They believed that pure democracy could be dangerous and lead to “turbulence and contention”, and that it could threaten personal security and property rights. They opted for a representative democracy, or a democratic republic, where people vote for representatives to govern on their behalf.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Democracy in its pure form can be dangerous | "Real liberty is not found in the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments" – Alexander Hamilton |
| Democracy can lead to a monarchy or dictatorship | "If we incline too much to democracy we shall soon shoot into a monarchy, or some other form of dictatorship" – Alexander Hamilton |
| Democracy is mob rule | "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51 percent of the people may take away the rights of the other 49" – Thomas Jefferson |
| Democracy is turbulent and violent | "Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths" – James Madison |
| Democracy doesn't last long | "Democracy never lasts long" – John Adams |
| Democracy was not meant to be a direct form of government | "It was never meant to be a sort of direct democracy, where all Americans would get to cast a ballot on all issues" – Andrew Wehrman |
| The vote was meant to be reserved for the wealthy and educated | "The vote itself, they thought, ought to be reserved for people of wealth and education" – Andrew Wehrman |
| The common people were expected to participate indirectly | "The founders expected the common people, the poor and uneducated, to participate indirectly, through their local government, at town halls and meetings and through protest actions like boycotts" – Andrew Wehrman |
| The Founding Fathers were not champions of democracy | "The Founding Fathers were not champions of democracy" |
| The Founding Fathers were an elite class | "Despite our thoughts of them as stalwart champions of democracy, the Founding Fathers were an elite class" – Historian |
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What You'll Learn
Democracy as mob rule
The Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution were among the wealthiest people in the colonies. They expected that only the wealthy and educated would have the right to vote, while the common people, the poor and uneducated, would participate indirectly through local governments, town halls, meetings, and protests. Some of the founders were particularly concerned about populism and mob rule.
Ancient Greek political thinkers regarded ochlocracy, or mob rule, as one of the three "bad" forms of government, along with tyranny and oligarchy. Aristotle, Plato's student, distinguished between different forms of democracy, stating that those that disregard the rule of law devolve into ochlocracy. The term "mob rule" or "ochlocracy" was coined in the 18th century, derived from the Latin phrase "mobile vulgus" or "the fickle crowd". It refers to a pathological" version of popular rule, where the majority can take away the rights of the minority.
While often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, there is no evidence that he ever said, "Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%." However, this quote reflects the concern that the Founding Fathers had about the dangers of pure democracy. They worried that allowing everyone to participate in politics would lead to the election of demagogues who appeal to the frenzy of the masses.
In democratic societies, the emergence of ochlocracy or mob rule can be connected to the decadence of democracy, where the democratic role of the people is reduced to the electoral process. This was seen in the Salem Witch Trials, where the unified belief of the townspeople overpowered the logic of the law. Similarly, Abraham Lincoln wrote about the disregard for the law and the growing disposition to substitute wild passions and mobs for the sober judgment of courts.
To prevent mob rule, it is essential to ensure that the rule of law protects minorities and individuals against short-term demagoguery and moral panic. As Gandhi envisioned, true democracy is governed by the people's collective consciousness and natural wisdom, not by the mob mentality that seeks only revenge and retaliation.
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The Founding Fathers' wealth
The Founding Fathers of the United States were among the wealthiest people in the colonies when they drafted and signed the Constitution. They were far from ordinary in terms of income, wealth, education, and social standing. Most of the Founding Fathers were rich in land and slaves but cash poor.
George Washington, for example, was a wealthy farmer and businessman before being appointed commander of the Continental army in 1775. He owned thousands of acres of land and hundreds of slaves. He was also the wealthiest president before Donald Trump, inheriting much of his wealth.
Similarly, Thomas Jefferson derived a large part of his wealth from the ownership of slaves. It is estimated that he owned between 150 and 200 slaves, which largely contributed to his overall wealth.
Another Founding Father, John Jay, came from a wealthy family of merchants.
Benjamin Franklin, on the other hand, had a rags-to-riches story. He arrived in Philadelphia as a seventeen-year-old runaway and used his printer's skills to launch a newspaper, publish books, and sell them through partnerships. He also wrote "The Way to Wealth" about how to become rich.
While some of the Founding Fathers were wealthy, it is important to note that there was a range of economic backgrounds among them. James Madison, for instance, was the son of a wealthy planter, while John Adams was born into a "comfortable, but not wealthy, Massachusetts farming family."
In conclusion, the Founding Fathers of the United States came from a range of economic backgrounds, but many of them were among the wealthiest people in the colonies and held significant wealth in the form of land and slaves.
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The role of the Electoral College
Each state is allocated presidential electors equal to the sum of its number of representatives and senators in the House. This means that no state has fewer than three electors. The District of Columbia, which is treated like a state for the purposes of the Electoral College, has three electors as well.
The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress. Each candidate running for President has their own group of electors, generally chosen by the candidate's political party in each state. The winner of the majority or plurality of the total tally for a state wins all of that state's electoral votes.
A presidential candidate must win a majority of at least 270 electoral votes to be declared the winner. On five occasions, including in two of the last six elections, candidates have won the Electoral College and thus the presidency, despite losing the nationwide popular vote.
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The Constitution as a safeguard
The founding fathers of the United States Constitution were among the wealthiest people in the colonies. They expected that only people of wealth and education should be allowed to vote, while the common people, the poor and uneducated, could participate indirectly through local governments, town halls, meetings, and protests. They were concerned about populism and mob rule, and believed that democracy in its pure form could be dangerous. Alexander Hamilton, for instance, wrote that "real liberty is not found in the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments".
The founding fathers also believed that state legislatures and voters in most states had gone too far, and that too many people were voting. They thought that states were becoming too radical and beholden to the interests of the common man, and needed to be more reserved and accommodating to the wealthy and educated. Thus, the Constitution was written and enacted to pull back some of the actions taken by state legislatures.
The Constitution established a representative democracy, where the right of election is secured and regulated, and the legislative, executive, and judiciary authorities are vested in select persons chosen by the people. The founding fathers wanted to ensure that the government derived its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and that it was administered by persons holding office for a limited period.
The Constitution, therefore, serves as a safeguard against the excesses of democracy, ensuring deliberation, balance, and stability. It protects the individual and minority from the tyranny of the majority, and it is the only safeguard of liberties. Lincoln, in an 1856 speech, emphasised the importance of maintaining the Constitution, stating that it "must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties".
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The limits of citizenship rights
The Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution were among the wealthiest people in the colonies. They expected that only people of wealth and education should be allowed to vote and that the common people would participate indirectly through local governments and town halls. The Founding Fathers were not champions of democracy and feared "mob rule". They believed that pure democracy could be dangerous and lead to “turbulence and contention”, with Alexander Hamilton writing, "Real liberty is not found in the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments".
The Constitution was written to limit citizenship rights and prevent too many people from participating in politics. The Founding Fathers wanted to protect the interests of the wealthy and educated, and they believed that democracy could lead to the election of demagogues who appealed to the masses. They opted for a representative democracy, where the right to vote is secured and regulated, and the legislative, executive, and judiciary authorities are chosen by the people. This form of democracy ensures that the people rule through institutions designed to protect individuals and minorities from the tyranny of the majority.
James Madison, one of the Founding Fathers, defined a republic as:
> [...] a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is essential to such a government that it be derived from the great body of society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it.
The United States is a republic, as stated in Article 4, Section 2 of the Constitution, which guarantees a republican form of government to every state in the Union. This form of government was chosen as a middle ground between absolutism and popular sovereignty.
In conclusion, the Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution viewed pure democracy as dangerous and sought to limit citizenship rights through a representative democracy and a republican form of government. They believed that this would protect the interests of the wealthy and educated while also preventing the "tyranny of the majority".
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Founding Fathers did not want a pure democracy. They were among the wealthiest people in the colonies and expected that only people of wealth and education should be allowed to vote. They believed that a mixed government, containing both republican and democratic features, would be the most resilient system.
The Founding Fathers wanted a representative democracy, where the people vote for representatives to govern on their behalf. They believed that this would prevent mob rule and the tyranny of the majority.
The Founding Fathers saw pure democracy as dangerous and a form of "mob rule". They believed that it could lead to a dictatorship, with demagogues or populists taking power and infringing on the rights of individuals and minorities.
No, the Founding Fathers did not want a monarchy either. They wanted to get rid of the monarchical system that had been in place for hundreds of years, but they did not trust pure democracy. So, they opted for a middle ground between absolutism and popular sovereignty, creating a republic.
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