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Pros And Cons Of The Federalists

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“The Federalist,” written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the surname ‘Publius,’ attempts to convince the American people that a republican government would be beneficial to both the people and the United States as a whole. Since ‘Publius’ is, in actuality, three different people, one would expect to find some discrepancies between authors. However, in analyzing “The Federalist,” Madison and Hamilton present a unified front – in order to control the effects of factions, they agree that a government should be able to protect its constituents from their misguided passions, that virtual representation is necessary, and that checks and balances among the divided powers of the government are vital. Factions are a source …show more content…

In order to “secure the public good, and private rights, against the danger of [majority] faction, and at the same time to preserve the spirit and form of popular government,” (#10: 45) they proposed the use of an electoral college, which would “refine and enlarge public views” (#10: 46). In order to allow the people to have an active voice in the government while protecting them from the negative aspects of factions, the authors of “The Federalist” proposed the use of an electoral college. Furthermore, Hamilton and Madison agreed that the electoral college should consist of delegates, rather than trustees. Hamilton proposed that the members of the electoral college would take the interests of different groups into account, proving to be “an impartial arbiter between them, ready to promote either, so far as it shall appear to him conducive to the general interests of his community” (#35: 171). This means that members of the electoral college should vote in discordance with the popular vote of their state, if the majority’s opinion is destructive towards the community. Madison holds the same view of the electoral college members, asserting that their “wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country” (#10: 46). This implies that if the interest of a certain state is contrary to national interest, an elector should vote in accordance with national view. It is clear that both Hamilton and Madison agreed that a scheme of representation utilizing delegates, rather than trustees, would ensure safety in the face of majority

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In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton lays out his vision for the Supreme Court of the United States. In this essay, Hamilton explains that the court should function as a “bulwark against majoritarian excesses” (O’Brien 181). His intension was for the court to protect the rights of the minority of the people against the tyranny of the majority. Hamilton makes the assurance that the court will use separation of powers as a “check” on Congress in order to protect against popular will (O’Brien 22). To accomplish this, the court had to function as an independent body in order to “safeguard” against the will of the majority and “occasional ill humors in the society” (O’Brien 349).

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In George Washington’s Farewell Address (1796), the departing president warned that the creation of political factions, would most certainly lead to “formal and permanent despotism” for the United States, of which he was clearly right. Despite Washington’s words of warning, two of his closest advisors, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, helped to form the factions that led to the dual party system under which the U.S. operates today. Hamilton and Jefferson came to represent the divisions that shaped the early national political landscape, for they had polar opposite views on how the Constitution of the United States should allow, and support, their vision of how the government should be run. Jefferson took a strong position against the creation of a large, central federal government that got itself involved in domestic affairs. According to Jefferson, the role of government should be small and more direct to local citizens, in order to keep the new republic from returning to a tyrannical monarchy.

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