Govn 1000

TOPIC 7

DEMOCRACY: REPRESENTATIVE AND PARTICIPATORY- Parliamentary and Presidential

James Madison on Democracy 1751-1836He was among the most accomplished founders from the old dominion of Virginia

1) He was Co-author of the Federalist Papers, a member of the US Congress, Secretary of the State and served two terms as President of the U.S. He is most often referred to as the father of the U.S. Constitution.

2) In Federalist Paper #10, Madison describes a particular type of government and a certain set of values in a time when a government doctrine was in demand.

3) No. 20 portrays a sense of equality and praises the civil rights of every citizen.

4) By inviting numerous factions into a society, Madison values the opinion and beliefs of the public .Madison argues that democracy can flourish by respecting the interest of all fractions

5) James Madison was most concerned with the majority’s control over institutions of government. For Madison tyranny of the majority means in essence mob rule.

6) Madison’s concern was that majority rule might be undermine the democratic idea of the rights of the individual and destroy itself

7) Majority tyranny is the problem of democracy for Madison. It is a danger inseparable from democracy because, in Madison’s words, it is “sown in the nature of man.”Human beings do not spontaneously act for the good of the group or the society.

8) They require persuasion and specifically persuasion powerful enough to overcome the self intersert to which people are subject. But such persuasion is not a feature of democratic politics

9) Madison’s solution of the problem of the governmental tyranny of the majority was to use constitutional structures to prevent the majority from concentrating its power.

10) Madison’s proposal called for improvement to majority rule by making it necessary for different groups in society to negotiate with one another. This would take place...