Federalism: Double Security For The Rights Of The United States

Jessica McMahan
Short Paper #1
Federalism provides a double security for the rights of the people of the United States. The double security Madison refers to is the division of powers. It’s a security for the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches. If one branch of government starts getting out of hand with their power, the others are there to set them straight. It lets the states control themselves while the government controls itself. It’s the best system for checks and balances. The constitution and it’s framework of federalism protects peoples liberty and rights. Federalism lets the national government have their power without interfering with our rights. It also gives the citizen the right to voice their opinions about government
It keeps the power equally divided between the national government and the states. It gives them both their equal rights and their own responsibilities. It keeps the states from joining together and rebelling for more power. Every person has a different opinion in all areas including politics, government, ideas, and religion. These different ideas are the main causes of faction. If citizens start joining in groups and start abusing their liberty without interference, things could go south really quick. These groups that rise up can destroy democracy. If democracy is taken away, the states will be left with chaos. I think everybody agrees that democracy is the best way for the United States to thrive. Madison states, “The only way to cure faction is to destroy this type of liberty.” Federalism does just that. These groups could be oil companies, teachers, or Chick-Fil-A’s corporation. They can range from social groups to political groups. They could use violence as a political action. The leaders of these faction groups can create a spark within their own state. The laws of federalism keep citizens that have a mindset like that in check. The federalism laws are important for big institutions because they are the ones to most likely cause faction. They let the states have just enough freedom and express their individuality without going too far off the rails. The also let the states have just enough say with government decisions. The constitution is one of the big works to control faction. The writers of the constitution built it with a federalist system involved. The Articles of Confederation is another document that controls faction. It helped build the basics of federalism and expanded the meaning of it. Madison also says, Citizens that have the same opinions, passions, and interests can cure faction.” That is entirely impossible though because every human being is