Constitutional Convention: The US Federalist Paper No. 51
Introduction
The Federalist Paper no. 51 largely influences the functioning of the current government. Written by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton during the Constitution’s ratification between 1787 and 1788, the Federalist Paper No. 51 addresses the notion of ambition (Corbett et al. 202). The Founding Fathers built America in a way that the government would inevitably receive resistance from society when change was initiated within the government. The Constitutional Convention in 1787 addresses the weaknesses of Confederation since it made it difficult for the central government and other powers to function effectively (Corbett et al. 202 203).
Delegates at the Convection argued that centralization would threaten people’s rights. If the citizenry fails to respect the fundamentals of the Constitution, the government would face resistance. Therefore, the delegates proposed the creation of a system with separate branches of the government to check their power and channel their authority to meet the needs of society. Hamilton set up the argument that “It is by balancing each of these powers against the other two that the efforts in human nature toward tyranny can alone be checked and restrained” (Founders Online). Creating a system and government that serves the public interest reflects the Founding Fathers’ idea of ambition counteracting ambition.
The New Government Structure
The notion that Ambition must be made to counteract ambition primarily posits checking and balancing the power of each governmental branch. During the British rule, the monarch possessed absolute power over the colonies (Corbett 207). The Founding Fathers believed that the creation of a system with different government branches could prevent one branch from subduing others in terms of power and authority. In this line, among the ways the concept of Ambition must be made to counteract ambition is reflected in the new government structure is through the separation of power. The United States Constitution divided the government’s power into the judicial, legislative, and executive (Blazina and DeSilver 2-3; Wen and Marks 1).
The legislative branch, which constitutes Congress, makes laws that are then enforced by the executive branch. Congress constitutes the House of Representatives and Senate, both approving a bill before becoming law (Blazina and DeSilver 2-3). The judicial branch interprets the Constitution and ensures all enacted laws are constitutional (Wen and Marks 1). Evidently, the system of government proposed by the Founding Fathers worked better than the one under the British rule and the Articles of Confederation.
Furthermore, the Constitution embraced the system of checks of balances in the current government. The system particularly prevents the three branches of the government from possessing too much power or use their authority for self-interest. Despite having influence over each other, the system of checks and balances ensures that none of the branches dominate the others. For example, the President can constitutionally appoint federal officials, including the Supreme Court judges. However, the Senate must approve these nominations to ensure that judiciary is bias free and that the legislative branch has oversight over the process (Bass et al. 678).
Additionally, Congress can remove from office federal officials and the Presidents for lack of accountability and transparency. Moreover, at the center of the system of checks and balances in the current government is the Supreme Court. Among the key roles of the Court is to judicially review the laws passed and enacted by the legislative and executive branches, respectively (Bass et al. 678). In essence, this ensures that these governmental bodies function within their constitutional authority. Therefore, the system of checks and balances has helped maintain the stability of American democracy.
The idea of Ambition must be made to counteract ambition is further evident in the division of power between the federal and state governments. The Article of Confederation stipulated that the existing was ineffective in governing individual states and ensuring the nation’s stability (Corbett 202). Thus, the Founding Fathers proposed a system with a strong central government responsible for regulating taxation, declaring war, and controlling the currency (Corbett 204).
On the other hand, states would oversee local matters, from criminal law to education. Therefore, federalism guaranteed the shared distribution of power at various levels of government. Additionally, it allowed individual states to address their needs through the implementation of policies and the creation of systems tailored to their interests. For example, state health departments could propose frameworks to address health challenges unique to their populace. Similarly, state education departments can create curriculums to match the values and attitudes of their educators, students, and community. Nonetheless, federalism ensures that issues beyond individual states can be addressed by a central authority. Apart from preventing power concentration in a single institution, federalism prevents tyranny and abuse of power.
Conclusion
American history is built on division and controversy about the government’s power. People in authority can shift set policies and laws and influence the actions of others. However, misuse of power can result in the creation of a tyrannical government. The Constitution of the United States allows the three government branches to exert authority while maintaining a power balance. The executive, legislature, and judicial, and work independently and collaboratively to pass, approve, and implement laws and regulations. Central to political power is dictating the actions of the people. The implemented laws determine the functioning of society and define the outcome of various events, from national defense to commerce. Nonetheless, the government may get resistance from within and the citizens due to excessive exertion or abuse of power. When the citizenry fails to respect the Constitution, they are likely to establish a tyrannical government For this reason, Federalist 51 was structured to prevent tyranny and emphasized ambition counteracting ambition.
The Founding Fathers focused on creating a government built on equality, democracy, liberty, and rights. These ideals would limit the government’s power and prevent the concentration of authority that would potentially invite conflict. Given this, the Founding Fathers coined the notion of Ambition must be made to counteract ambition to have a government that would ensure power balance. Furthermore, this idea has been widely incorporated into the structure of today’s government.
The current structure of the government displays the success of the Founding Fathers in limiting and preventing the concentration of power. Today, there are three government branches with separate powers, making it challenging for one group to gain more power. The Constitution specifically outlines the creation of a system that prevents any branch of the government from subduing others in terms of power and authority. Federalism and the system of checks and balances further played a pivotal role in preventing the government from infringing individual rights and freedom. However, the emphasis on ambition counteracting ambition has created challenges in addressing key socio-economic and political issues as some political parties and entities continue to wield significant influence over others.
Works Cited
Bass, Leeann, et al. “The Politics of Accountability in Supreme Court Nominations: Voter Recall and Assessment of Senator Votes on Nominees.” Political Science Research and Methods, vol. 10, no. 4, 2022, pp. 677-702. Web.
Blazina, Carrie, and Drew DeSilver. “A Record Number of Women are Serving in the 117th Congress.” Pew Research Center 15, 2021. Web.
Corbett, Scott et al. United States History. OpenStax, 2014.
Founders Online. “From John Adams to Richard Henry Lee, 15 November 1775.” Founders Online. Web.
Wen, Ryan, and Ryan Marks. “United States Senate Judiciary Committee.” Empower Future Leaders, n.d. Web.