James Madison About The Role Of The People In Government

 There has been much dispute regarding which model of representative democracy best achieves the founders original intent for American Democracy. It can be said that the founders strongly advocated for the people playing a significant role in the government, which is why the participatory representative democracy best resembles the American governmental system. This can clearly be seen in James Madison’s Federalist 10, where factions are discussed, and the United States Constitution's amendments regarding the inalienable right of free speech.

Federalist 10 is a document that was written by James Madison who defended the republican government proposed by the Constitution. This document describes the use and effects of factions in society. A faction is most commonly referred to as a group of people participating in parties/organizations that support the government. Although seemingly positive, if one cannot find a faction to associate with, it may prevent them from participating in government elections/activities. A participatory government, however, ensures that the people have the opportunity to vote regardless of the faction they identify with. In other forms of government, this is not the case. In an elite democracy, only the “elite” are allowed to have a voice in politics. This may result in the creation of aforementioned exclusive and discriminatory factions, as a way to have the concerns and needs of the rest of society adequately met. If a citizen does not identify with a large, well known faction, then their ideas will not be represented, which goes against the founders original intent. This creates a vicious cycle where only the well known factions’ needs are met, leaving the underrepresented excluded.

Furthermore, since the Constitution included a Bill of Rights, the liberties of the people would be ensured and protected. In fact, the first amendment addresses the topic of free speech; it specifically states that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. There are also several amendments that allow the people to have a voice in the government. For example, the 19th amendment granted women suffrage and the 15th amendment allowed all men to vote, regardless of race. This independence in the voting process can also be seen in the 17th amendment, which allowed citizens to vote for their senators via a direct election. These amendments support the claim that the government did in fact want society to actively engage in elections and the government itself.

Although an argument could be made that an elite society would have the best outcome on the country because the smartest and wealthiest citizens are making the decisions, this is not the case. Only the needs of the elitist are met in this type of government, which impairs the quality of life of those less fortunate. Furthermore — an elitist government is not consistent with the founders original objective of avoiding tyranny and ensuring that the citizens are equally represented in the government— which is why a participatory government best achieves the founders’ intent for American democracy in terms of ensuring a stable government run by the people.