Oligarchy

Paper Summary:

This paper reveals that, although America is often thought of as a democratic republic in terms of its philosophy of governance, the Constitution is made up of both democratic and profoundly oligarchic ideals, which have been woven into the actual policy and procedures of the nation as exemplified by the Electoral College and the indirect election of senators. The paper points out that the Founding Fathers created a republican oligarchy in which the rulership was by the white, male elite. However, the paper explains that even some of the Founding Fathers questioned these oligarchical elements. By the second quarter of the nineteenth century, democratic populism became the governing philosophy.

From the Paper:

"The nature of representational republican government itself demands that the will of the people is slightly removed from the decision-making bodies of government. The U.S. Senate, the more powerful body devoted to consideration of foreign affairs, in contrast to the House of Representatives, is even more removed from the will of the popular vote, especially in the Constitution's original configuration. Originally, Senators were elected by the state legislatures, not by direct vote"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Madison, James. "The Federalist Paper 62." First published in the Independent Journal.February 27, 1788. Constitution.org. July 23, 2008. http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa62.htm
• Madison, James. "The Federalist Paper 63." First published in the Independent Journal.March 1, 1788. Constitution.org. July 23, 2008.http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa63.htm
• Meckler, Michael. "The Rise of Populism, the Decline of Classical Education and theSeventeenth Amendment." In Classical Antiquity: George Washington to George W. Bush-and the Politics of America. Edited by Michael Meckler. Baylor University Press, 2006.
• Richard, Karl. "Classical Antiquity and the Early Conceptions of the United States." In Classical Antiquity: George Washington to George W. Bush-and the Politics of America. Edited by Michael Meckler. Baylor University Press, 2006.
• Riker, William H. "The Senate and American Federalist." The American Political Science Review. June 1955 49.2: 452-469

More papers on Oligarchy:

• Essay # 26020 : "Democracy and Oligarchy"
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