Why does the American Form of Government Work?

Federalist Papers #10: ¨There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests. It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy, that it was worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency. The second expedient is as impracticable as the first would be unwise. As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed. As long as the connection subsists between his reason and his self-love, his opinions and his passions will have a reciprocal influence on each other; and the former will be objects to which the latter will attach themselves. The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties.¨

• Here, Madison is acknowledging the inevitability of differing viewpoints, be it political or religious. However, instead of trying to censor one view or the other, as seen in European states like England and Spain, he tries to keep it from getting out of hand. He understands that, no matter how annoying or difficult it may be to have multiple parties, it is a vital part of democracy, and thus, he takes no measures to stop it. Because he understands the importance of this, he prioritizes that in his government, stating ¨the protection of these faculties is the first object of government.¨ Since freedom of expression was clearly a priority when writing the constitution, the end result was structured in a way that provided free speech to the people. As a result, people were more satisfied with the government, since they felt like they had a say in it, leading to more stability. 

Federalist papers #10: The other point of difference is, the greater number of citizens and extent of territory which may be brought within the compass of republican than of democratic government; and it is this circumstance principally which renders factious combinations less to be dreaded in the former than in the latter. The smaller the society, the fewer probably will be the distinct parties and interests composing it; the fewer the distinct parties and interests, the more frequently will a majority be found of the same party; and the smaller the number of individuals composing a majority, and the smaller the compass within which they are placed, the more easily will they concert and execute their plans of oppression. Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other. Besides other impediments, it may be remarked that, where there is a consciousness of unjust or dishonorable purposes, communication is always checked by distrust in proportion to the number whose concurrence is necessary.

• One reason the American form of government works is because it encompasses a large population spread throughout numerous regions. With a smaller population, it is easy for dictatorships or supermajorities to emerge. However, because of the larger population, it became harder for this to happen, since there were more seats that had to be won over in Congress. Even if a supermajority did occur, the minority would consist a lot more people, and thus would be harder to censor. 

Federalist Papers #51: In order to lay a due foundation for that separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government, which to a certain extent is admitted on all hands to be essential to the preservation of liberty, it is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the others. Were this principle rigorously adhered to, it would require that all the appointments for the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should be drawn from the same fountain of authority, the people

• Another reason the American form of government works is because of how the government is divided into different departments or branches. This balance of power ensures that every government official can only affect what is within his own branch and nothing else. This prevents any particular individuals from gaining too much power. As a result, even the most powerful three entities in each branch: the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court, can do so much to lessen another's power. To further strengthen this form, everyone in Congress, in addition to the President, is elected by the people. This maximizes the chances for the politicians to have the people's interests at heart since otherwise, people wouldn't have voted for them. The nine Supreme Court Justices must be appointed by the President elected by the people, and then approved by the representatives in Congress chosen by their constituents. As a result, the heads of all three branches should, in theory, consist of people who serve the people they of America.

Federalist Papers #51: A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. This policy of supplying, by opposite and rival interests, the defect of better motives, might be traced through the whole system of human affairs, private as well as public. We see it particularly displayed in all the subordinate distributions of power, where the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check on the other that the private interest of every individual may be a sentinel over the public rights.

• A fourth reason the American form of government work is the checks and balances. While each branch has a limited ability to affect the others, they also have the ability to stop unjust actions of others. For example, the legislative branch can pass legislation, but it has to go through the executive branch and the judicial branch before becoming law.This limited effect is enough from keeping each branch from having too much of an effect on others, but also just enough to keep each branch from using their power unchecked.