James Madison might not ever imagined Bayside High School, but he described it perfectly when he wrote Federsalist No. 10.
In his effort to promote the ratification of the Constitution, Madison helped write the Federalist papers to describe the theoretical underpinnings of this unique government.
Besides describing how the concept of Separation of Powers (Federalist No. 51) would work, he also spoke of how this new government would help to contain the archenemy of democracy: factions.
Madison argued that cliques are a natural part of society but were particularly detrimental in a democracy where the majority faction would naturally try to punish the minority factions. He argued that this oppressive situation was most likely to occur in smaller regions.
For instance Bayside High School-- with a student population of 10 -- had a majority faction led by Zac and the gang who ran the school. They led the football team. They ran the school newspaper. They even dictated the policies of their principal Mr. Belding...never considering the impact on the oppressed minority--the Geeks.
A large republic is like a large high school. No one faction can ever dominate. In a large republic, multiple factions have to unite behind common interests to enact public policy.
For instance, in order to win the electoral votes in a state like Florida, candidates vie to win support from the elderly, from Cuban-Americans, from African-Americans, and from the NASCAR crowd. Thus, candidates must tailor their message to unite groups that might have widely different interests.
So, if you are ever asked to read Federalist No. 10, (next week maybe?) be sure to also watch a re-run of Saved by the Bell to gain fuller appreciation of the system that Madison was trying to prevent.
Saved by the Bell WVHS style
While the size of Waubonsie Valley, Madison would maintain, has kept any one faction from succeeding in a power grab, several sub-groups of Warrior seniors have tried separated themselves from the rest of the student body. No less than four "Senior" T-shirts have been worn by faction models. Senior Mean Girls, Senior Princesses. . . then there's the student council senior T, and the many AP faction statements.
Screech and his crew would be all about making the best T-shirt. It would probably make Madison simply want to scream. Linked is Federalist No. 10 for those of you want to get ahead of the bell.
http://www.thisnation.com/library/books/federalist/10.html
8 comments:
While it's good that large republics prevent factions from gaining power, they also make decisions and action slow. Which is not a bad thing either, unless you have a situation like Darfur, to which the UN responded - and is still responding - slowly, with a lot of denial, deadlocks, and ineffective legislation. (Albeit that it's not all the fault of the UN, Sudan being less than cooperative.)
I guess that's the cost of mega-republics, and it's better than someone taking control during a crisis and not reliquishing it afterwards. But it seems like a pretty high price to pay.
Sorry, Sreeharsha, but I have to disagree with you. I do not believe that factions advance our society, no matter who the President is, but instead use their power to hinder the weaker groups. Save By the Bell provides a perfect example of how the more powerful factions completely ignore the desires of the "Geeks" in our society. I completely agree with George Washington on this one, factions will end up hurting America in the end.
Really sreeharsha? Really be boring? how about it would be better. Instead of stuck up girls, and vindictive guys, the school would be unified. As a person who hangs out with many clicks, i know that each has its positives and its negatives. Oh and as for smaller societies bieng dominated by factions, then tell me this. Why does no faction dominate Iraq? Its a relatively small society, only the size of california. I think we can all safely say that one faction does not dominate Iraq. Another example, our school. There is no dominating faction. We all coexist together without bieng pushed around by others.
I am glad that 'Saved by the Bell,' if not Mr. Madison himself, has spurred this lively discussion.
It seems to me there are compelling arguments on both sides of the large/small republic being the best defense against abusive factions. Where Sreeharsha seems to see interest groups as inevitable, but only controllable in a large republic, Alex asks about Iraq.
A great question, with no easy answer. But according to the August National Intellegence Estimate, as reported by the NY Times, local initiatives have for the time being have reduced sectarian violence leading to some shared policy. At the same time, the report fears, if the Big Republic "occupier" US, pulls out, the factions may erupt into violence in a destablized Iraq.
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From the NY Times:
The report was optimistic about a number of what it called “bottom-up” security initiatives that had helped reduce violence in some parts of the country. Most prominent of these are efforts by Sunni tribal sheiks to ban together against Islamic militants from the Iraqi insurgent group Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.
But such local initiatives were also described as a Catch-22. On one hand, they provide the “best prospect” for improving Iraqi security over the next year. But the assessment concluded that strong local initiatives could undermine Iraq’s central government, which American officials say is essential to lasting peace.
The intelligence assessment also cited the growing perception inside Iraq that an American troop withdrawal was inevitable as another factor that could destabilize the Maliki government, encouraging factions anticipating a power vacuum “to seek local security solutions that could intensify sectarian violence.”
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Anyway, keep the debate going, guys. Mr. Madison would be proud.
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