How Did James Madison Believe In The Virtue Of A Republic Over A Democracy?

James Madison was the fourth U.S. president. He was a big part in United States history because he helped co-write the Federalist Papers and helped write the drafts of the United States Constitution. The Federalist Paper #10 was written by James Madison published on Friday, November 23, 1787. James Madison wrote the Federalist Paper to the people who lived in New York. James Madison discussed in the paper how a good union could help control the violence caused by the faction. Madison defines factions as groups of people who gather together to protect and promote a common belief. Factions do not equally distribute property and the people work together to go against the rights of the minorities. In the essay I will talk about why James Madison
Madison believes that a republic could potentially protect us from the factions. According to the article James Madison stated, “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. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties” (Madison para. 6). Republics would stop American citizens from being segregated between the rich and the poor. James Madison stated, “Under such regulation, it may well happen that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves, convened for the purpose”(Madison para.16). Madison believed republic would be best for the country because the body of people representing the country would decide what is best for the country. Whereas the democracy would consist of people who did not have the country’s best interest in mind and would be
This meant people would have more of a voice for the government. Advocate number one and two stated, “Classical theory asserts a republic requires self-sacrifice, consensus, and an aristocracy of merit” and “Using Smith’s ideas, stress that republic needs individuals to pursue their rational self-interest” (Garvin). James Madison believed that the people should be able to have a say in the government. The chosen people for the government would put the citizens of the country before themselves. Which is why James Madison prefers republic over democracy. The larger the republic is, the harder it is for factions to stay in power. With a large republic, the government would be able to control the effects of the factions and would lead to the factions becoming less corrupted. Madison stated, “Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other” (Madison para.20). Madison is saying the larger the republic the more protection minorities have because the republic would be so large that the citizens would