The United States spends more on its defense than any other country in the world, in a democratic state whose constitution Alexander Hamilton helped to inspire. It’s questionable as to what lengths a democratic system should go to keep its citizens safe as ultimately security cannot be unconditionally guaranteed. Having a debate between liberty and security is by no means a new one, its influence on political thought can be profoundly polarizing, as the extremes of both liberty and security can be witnessed around the world and throughout history. The principles that must be prioritized within a democracy while still affording safety, revolves around the ability of citizens to exercise their political liberties. Political liberty allows citizens to share in the framing and conducting of the government under whose rule …show more content…
Without the ability for citizenry to express their desire for change, the threats against a democracy and the liberties it allows will only grow. Democracies have a complex responsibility of ensuring their own ways of life, and this is because that responsibility is somewhat shared between the people and those in positions of power. Hamilton understood that liberty came with a price and that there would be divisiveness within the system that they were establishing. The idea that so much power would be in the hands of the commonwealth was a radical notion, especially at that scale. Reading through the Federalist Papers you can see the cautionary writing inserted strategically within it. For example, in the Federalist Paper #10, Madison writes about the dangers present with the current Articles of Confederation and how having various factions who don't feel a sense of governmental unity can threaten one another. The idea that a dynamic representative system of government could prevent violent change in government was written into the Federalist Papers to serve as warning against the tensions much of the country was facing