Omar Bennett
The Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution feared that political factions would divide the nation. George Washington, for instance, warned in his farewell address in 1796 about the mischiefs of the spirit of party. James Madison, who worked with Alexander Hamilton to defend the new Constitution to the public, wrote in Federalist 10 that a well-constructed Union should work to break and control the violence of faction. Madison and Hamilton's competing visions for America would develop into the nation's first two political parties. Hamilton's supporters, who were largely Northern businessmen, bankers, and merchants, became known as the Federalists. They advocated for a strong central government. On the other hand, Jefferson's supporters, who were largely small farmers, artisans, and Southern planters, favored limited federal government and keeping power in state and local hands.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Multiplying, dispersing, and drowning out factions | Publius' solution |
| Creating an enlarged sphere or large republic | Most important method |
| Division of power between state and federal government | Allows local interests to be pursued |
| Division of power within each branch of government | Double security for rights of people |
| Division of power between the House of Representatives and the people | Vigilant and manly spirit of the people |
| Division of power between taxation and representation | Impartiality |
| Division of power between the state and federal government | Checks and balances |
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What You'll Learn
- James Madison wrote that a
- The Constitutional system divides power between state and federal governments
- The system also divides the government into distinct and separate departments
- The Constitution bolsters unity between Americans, combating faction and disunion
- The creation of an enlarged sphere or large republic allows factions to drown each other out
James Madison wrote that a well-constructed union should break and control the violence of faction
James Madison, a 36-year-old delegate from Virginia, worked with Alexander Hamilton to defend the new Constitution to the public in the Federalist Papers. Madison wrote in Federalist 10 that one of the functions of a "well-constructed Union" should be "its tendency to break and control the violence of faction". Madison and Hamilton shared a concern about the divisive influence of factions on democracy and believed that political parties were a "fatal disease" of popular governments.
Madison's views on factions were shared by George Washington, who warned in his farewell address in 1796 of the "mischiefs of the spirit of party". Washington's fears were realised after the 1796 election, when John Adams narrowly defeated Thomas Jefferson, and the new president made it a federal crime to criticise the administration.
In Federalist 9, Publius argues that a "firm union" is essential to the peace and liberty of the states, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection. Publius further argues in Federalist 2 that Americans are destined to become united under one federal government, rather than dividing themselves into separate confederacies.
Publius's most famous solution to the problem of factions is the creation of an extended republic, in which factions are multiplied, dispersed, and allowed to drown each other out. Another important mechanism is the way in which power is divided. In Federalist 51, Publius explains that in the Constitutional system, "ambition must be made to counteract ambition". The Constitution divides power between the state and federal governments, allowing local interests to be pursued while also creating a system of checks and balances that prevents any one faction from dominating.
The Constitutional system successfully combated sectional faction under the pressures of the slavery question, and Congress proved capable of balancing factious interests until the Civil War, when states from the South rejected the Constitutional system and seceded from the Union.
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The Constitutional system divides power between state and federal governments
The United States Constitution was created to foster unity among Americans and prevent the violence of faction. One of the ways in which the Constitutional system divides power between state and federal governments is by creating an extended republic, where factions are multiplied, dispersed, and allowed to drown each other out.
In Federalist 51, Publius explains that the Constitutional system intends to deal with the difficulty of sectional faction by allowing "ambition to counteract ambition". This is achieved by dividing power between the state and federal governments, enabling local interests to be pursued while also maintaining a unified nation.
The compound republic of America divides the power surrendered by the people between two distinct governments, and then further subdivides that power among distinct and separate departments. This results in a double security for the rights of the people. The federal system ensures that the power is not concentrated in a single government, as in a single republic, but is distributed and balanced between different levels and branches of government.
The division of power between the state and federal governments also helps to control biases in the census conducted by Congress. By extending the rule to govern both the representation and taxation of the states, the states will have opposing interests that will control and balance each other, producing the necessary impartiality.
The Constitutional system's division of power between state and federal governments was designed to prevent the violence of faction and promote unity. It achieved this by creating an extended republic, allowing local interests to be pursued within a balanced and distributed system of power.
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The system also divides the government into distinct and separate departments
The Founding Fathers were concerned about the threat of political factions to the unity of the nation. In his farewell address, George Washington warned of the "mischiefs of the spirit of party", and the potential for disunion if parties were allowed to flourish and fight each other.
One way the Constitution sought to keep factions under control was through the creation of an extended republic, where factions would be multiplied, dispersed, and allowed to drown each other out. This was achieved by dividing power between the state and federal governments, allowing local interests to be pursued while also maintaining a unified nation.
This division of power is further ensured through the system of representation, where local interests are balanced and controlled by opposite interests at the federal level, producing the requisite impartiality. This system allows for the venting of factious passions while also preventing any one faction from holding too much power.
Overall, the division of power between and within distinct governmental departments was a key way in which the Constitution sought to control the violence of faction and maintain the unity of the nation.
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The Constitution bolsters unity between Americans, combating faction and disunion
The Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution were deeply concerned about the divisive influence of factions on democracy. They believed that political factions could tear the nation apart. George Washington, for instance, warned in his farewell address in 1796 about the "mischiefs of the spirit of party", urging Americans to "discourage and restrain it".
The Constitution was designed to bolster unity among Americans and combat faction and disunion. In Federalist 9, Publius argues that a "firm union" is critical to maintaining peace and liberty within the states, acting as a bulwark against domestic faction and insurrection. The union created by the Constitution, he writes in Federalist 10, is key to controlling the violence of faction.
Publius also proposed the creation of an extended republic, where factions would be numerous, dispersed, and able to drown each other out. Additionally, he suggested that the division of power between the state and federal governments would allow local interests to be pursued while preventing the concentration of power. This is elaborated on in Federalist 51, where Publius explains that "ambition must be made to counteract ambition".
The Constitutional system successfully combated sectional faction, particularly during the contentious slavery debates in Congress. The system allowed Congress to balance factious interests until the southern states ultimately seceded from the union.
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The creation of an enlarged sphere or large republic allows factions to drown each other out
The Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, were deeply concerned about the divisive influence of factions on democracy. They believed that political parties were a "fatal disease" that could tear the nation apart. In the Federalist Papers, Madison wrote that a "'well-constructed Union' should aim to 'break and control the violence of faction'.
Publius, the pen name used by Madison, Hamilton, and John Jay when publishing the Federalist Papers, argued that the creation of an enlarged sphere or large republic was key to managing factions. This approach, detailed in Federalist 9 and 10, sought to multiply and disperse factions so that they could drown each other out. By creating an extended republic, the Constitution aimed to prevent the country from becoming like the "'petty republics of Greece and Italy', which were plagued by 'perpetual vibration between the extremes of tyranny and anarchy'.
Publius recognised that in a single republic, all power surrendered by the people is submitted to a single government. However, in the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then further subdivided among distinct departments. This division of power, or "double security", is outlined in Federalist 51, where Publius explains that "ambition must be made to counteract ambition".
The Constitutional system successfully combated sectional faction, particularly under the pressures of the slavery question, until states from the South rejected the system and seceded from the Union. The system aimed to allow local interests to be pursued while also maintaining national unity and preventing the dominance of any one faction.
In conclusion, the creation of an enlarged sphere or large republic was a key mechanism by which the United States Constitution sought to control factions. By dispersing and multiplying factions, the Constitution aimed to prevent any one group from gaining too much power and to protect the unity and liberty of the nation.
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