Division in America

“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” (Madison, 106) Though written in 1788 these words hold just as much truth over two centuries later as they did when the founding fathers considered them in writing the Constitution. As the men who drafted our country’s most powerful government document congregated, the memories of the Revolution and tyranny of England were still fresh in their minds. As a result, the system of checks and balances introduced in Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution are the basis of a fundamental principle of American democracy.
James Madison was a genius in that he considered the impact of each and every principle employed in our Constitution. As he co-wrote The Federalist Papers he not only garnered support for a new central government but he defined the ideals of American democracy. Throughout The Federalist Papers Madison is often drawn to contemplate human nature and its applications to government. He discusses the positive side of human nature in reason, virtue, and morality. He also consults the negative aspects in that man is a creature who has too much dignity and sins often. His fear was that this negative side of human nature would cause ambitious people to encroach on the power of others and, in doing so, accumulate too much power in one branch of the government. As a result, the checks and balances between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches are still vital to the success of democracy today.
The early American government had little chance of success. The Articles of Confederation had certainly failed to establish a nation which held any power in the world. Fear that power resulted in tyranny was rampant in the fledgling nation. This was certainly a dilemma for the elites writing the Constitution. They were aware that if the Constitution offered opportunities for tyranny to become a part of America that they would never garner the support necessary to ratify it. Madison recognized this and summed it up perfectly: “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” (Madison, 106) Just as vital as creating a strong central government was controlling this power so it could be used to create positive change. Factions in young America were dangerous because they could uproot the foundation of the new government. Madison and the founding fathers recognized this. Madison, in writing about the government controlling itself, was warning against those factions which were power hungry. Throughout history power hungry men have wrecked nations and caused much distress. The founding fathers were well aware of this and created a democracy which focused on preventing it completely.
Factions are an important part of any democracy. There is no way to prevent people from forming groups which support their own beliefs. Madison also knew this and did not try to prevent it. In fact, he recognized that it was impossible to prevent factions from forming. Instead, he offered a solution. Madison warned that the best policy was to accept factions, but control them. However, factions are still dangerous, which is why Madison recommended the government exert control over them. Two centuries ago there was nowhere near as much access to media as there is today. As a result of this constant knowledge of world and national situations the average American is more equipped than they were in 1778 to create a faction and have it succeed. While it is certainly still true that the elites govern the masses there is more opportunity for members of the masses to become elites today.
Today is the anniversary of the worst attack on American soil in history. September 11th was the Pearl Harbor of my generation and has forever scarred us in many ways which have yet to be truly seen. One constant reminder of these deadly attacks is the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Though support for these strikes was strong at first it has declined until many Americans believe we are our wasting our time in a country that does not want our help. Factions have risen on both sides of this issue and they are more dangerous than any our country has seen in several decades. These factions pose a great threat to our country because both have garnered considerable support across the country. There seems to be no middle ground to stand on and as a result the conflict is not being resolved. I have no doubt we would see Madison revive The Federalist Papers in response to this looming division which becomes greater every day.
I am reminded of the phrase, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” Our country was founded on the idea that the elites govern the masses because, in reality, they have basically the same principles in common and can find common ground to work on for our country. Maybe Madison made the greatest point as he warned the founding fathers to proceed with caution. “Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit.” (Madison, 108)