Why Ratify the Constitution?

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses why James Madison thought it necessary to ratify the US Constitution. The writer notes that, for Madison, one of the primary reasons for Americans to ratify the Constitution was because it provided for a republican form of government. The writer explains that Madison believed that the republican form of government was better suited to control the impact of factions on the political process than a straight democracy. This was due to the fact that in an open political environment, the development of various factions was inevitable. The writer also explains that to develop a democracy that ensured the rights of the people, regardless of their individual beliefs, one had to do more than to put political power in the hands of the majority. On the contrary, one had to develop a means to give all men a voice in the government and protect all rights. The writer discusses that according to Madison, the means to do so was the republican form of government.

From the Paper:

"That factions were a problem at the time the Constitution was drafted should not be surprising; although united in their goal to throw off the yoke of English oppression, the several colonies had enjoyed different types of governments, had different goals, and held different values. Therefore, a legitimate fear of these early Americans was that any national government would compromise the rights of the individual states.
"While Madison acknowledged that one might attempt to prevent the development of factions, he understood that doing so threatened the liberty of all men. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Madison, James. "The Federalist Papers: No. 10." The Avalon Project at Yale University.November 23, 1787. Yale University. 22 Oct. 2007 <http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed10.htm>.

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