Why does the American form of government work?

Federalist No. 10




1)"No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity. With equal, nay with greater reason, a body of men are unfit to be both judges and parties at the same time; yet what are many of the most important acts of legislation, but so many judicial determinations, not indeed concerning the rights of single persons, but concerning the rights of large bodies of citizens?"(Madison).


This quote expresses how not a single man can be a movement, or make decisions concerning the whole population. He continues to express this with America's judicial system. Our judicial system is to have unbiased judges who do not look at cases as person to person but in accordance of the law, and the whole population. In this sense, Madison explains how the government's judiciary branch must remain unbiased and act only on the law's basis, as to be fair, and to set an example for everyone and not just a single person or case.


2)"A landed interest, a manufacturing interest, a mercantile interest, a moneyed interest, with many lesser interests, grow up of necessity in civilized nations, and divide them into different classes, actuated by different sentiments and views. The regulation of these various and interfering interests forms the principal task of modern legislation, and involves the spirit of party and faction in the necessary and ordinary operations of the government."


Madison accounts for the products of liberty, which include the diversity in ideas and political views. Our government functions because it regulates these differences in ideas and views and regulates them, not in a way to impede on one's freedom, but in a way to make sure the country can still function despite contrasting ideas.





Federalist No. 51


1)"The remedy for this inconveniency is to divide the legislature into different branches; and to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action, as little connected with each other as the nature of their common functions and their common dependence on the society will admit. It may even be necessary to guard against dangerous encroachments by still further precautions."(Madison).


Through this quote, Madison expresses how the 3 different branches are needed to separate the power in the government, so no one branch has a lot of power. He also explains that there must be restrictions between the branches, as so power does not become centralized in 2 of the 3 or vice versa. In this sense, our government works because we have checks and balances that stop one branch from dominating the other sources of government, and making it unfair.


2) "A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. "


Again, Madison expresses how our government, in other words, needs consent of the governed, but in return the people must obey the laws (which are created by state representatives, which are elected through the people) to keep order. Our government, as Madison explains, works through the balance of its citizens and the government.


Cited Source:

https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=10&page=transcript#no-51