The Limits of Democracy

As the new political value system of republicanism was forming, many framers of the United States Constitution worried about democracy's limitations.

Learning Objective

Describe the potential downsides to a democratic system

Key Points

The framers of the Constitution drew from a vast array of political and philosophical models, and combined them to create the political value system known as republicanism. Many framers believed pure democracy would in fact be quite dangerous, as it would allow a majority to infringe upon the rights of a minority.
In 1787, individual states were making separate agreements with European and Native American nations apart from the Continental Congress, leading delegates to worry about the effects of "too much democracy" and a decentralizing of power.
Other important influences on the development of the Constitution were the Magna Carta, the idea of consent of the governed, and the system of checks and balances.

Terms

republicanism
An ideal of government that prioritizes political participation, commitment to the common good, and individual virtue.
Magna Carta
A charter, granted by King John to the barons at Runnymede, Britain, in 1215, that is a basis of English constitutional tradition.

Full Text

Republicanism and the New Constitution

The framers of the Constitution were influenced by a vast array of political and philosophical models, and combined them to create the political value system known as republicanism. Based on both ancient Greek and Renaissance European thought, republicanism has been a central part of American political culture and strongly influenced the Founding Fathers.

Historians argue that much constitutional thought, from James Madison to Abraham Lincoln and beyond, has focused on the perceived problem of majority tyranny. Madison in particular worried that a small localized majority might threaten citizens' rights, and Thomas Jefferson warned that "an elective despotism is not the government we fought for."

James Madison

James Madison, co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party and author of "Federalist No. 10."

Critiques of Democracy

The Federalist Papers form a collection of 85 articles and essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, promoting ratification of the United States Constitution. Pervasive within them is the idea that pure democracy is in fact quite dangerous because it allows a majority to infringe upon the rights of a minority. Therefore, in encouraging the states to participate in a strong centralized government under a new constitution and replace the relatively weak Articles of Confederation, Madison argued in his paper "Federalist No. 10" that a special interest may take control of a small area (such as a state), but could not easily take over a large nation. A larger nation would therefore better safeguard republicanism.

Delegates at the Philadelphia Convention were concerned about decentralization of power caused by "too much democracy," as they perceived from democratic nations such as the Iroquois. In 1787, while the Constitution was being drafted, individual states were making separate agreements with European and Native American nations apart from the Continental Congress. Without the Convention's proposed central government, the framers feared that the United States under the Articles of Confederation would fail to keep the country intact.

Influences on the Constitution

Several ideas in the Constitution were new, associated with the combination of consolidated government, along with federal relationships with constituent states. The Constitution's due process clause was partly based on common law and on the Magna Carta (1215), which established the principle that the Crown's powers could be limited and the once-sovereign King could be bound by law.

The most important influences on the Constitution from the European continent were from Enlightenment thinkers John Locke and Montesquieu. Locke advanced the principle of consent of the governed in his Two Treatises of Government: essentially, government's duty in a social contract with the sovereign people was to serve them by protecting their rights to life, liberty, and property. Montesquieu emphasized the need for balanced forces pushing against each other to prevent tyranny. In his book The Spirit of the Laws, he argued for the separation of state powers into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.

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