Republican Principles Defined

From Federalist 10 it can be gleaned that James Madison defined republican principles as, that which is to control the effects of faction.

Madison defines faction as, "...a number of citizens whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community."

In other words, republican principles can be said to be: principles incorporated into the workings of government which help guard against the excesses or tyranny of both the majority and minority factions; principles that promote the general welfare of the community as a whole by treating every person equally and guarding each individual persons rights.

He goes on to state that, "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 [destroying liberty] 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 a 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."

Madison also rules out giving the citizens the same opinions, passions, and interests. He states that it, "...is as impracticable as the first [the destruction of liberty] 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 connection subsists between his reason and his self-love, his opinions and his passions will have a reciprocal influence on each other."

From this we can also glean what republican principles are not. They are not the force of government used to conform all its citizens into one common mold with the same opinions, passions, and interests, which in essence is the destruction of liberty.

Madison further proclaims that, "...democracy...can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will, in almost every case, be felt by a majority of the whole; a communication and concert results from the form of government itself; and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party...Hence it is that such democracies have ever been specticales of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. Theocratic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would at the same time be perfectly equalized and assimulated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions."

Madison lists several passions such as "a rage for paper money [Federal Reserve], for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property (redistribution of wealth)" and calls them "improper and wicked projects."

For republican principles to guard against the infringement of rights by factions, a common understanding and an unchangeable ground for rights must be established. This is what is called fixed principles and is where the rule of law comes in as a republican principle. Noah Webster clearly points out that the source of our republican principles is the Bible, as interpreted by Christianity. I quote,"Our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible" and "The Christian religion is the real source of all genuine republican principles." From this we receive our fixed principles on morality which guards against the faction of immorality. Christianity teaches that because of man's sinful nature, he will corrupt power. Therefore, as government is made up of men from whom we need protection, republican principles must also include safeguards against the infringements of government officials who would play one faction against another for selfish interests.

Included as part of the fixed republican principles is the idea of government by compact, that is, a constitution. Here we have the structure of government in which certain other republican principles are incorporated. The following are some examples of these.

Qualifications for Sufferage

Those who vote should not be economically dependent on another, especially government. They will only vote to propagate and enlarge the power of those they are dependent upon at the expense of others. Only independent people are capable of independent thinking. That is why in the early years of our country, property ownership was included as a qualification for voting privileges. Do not welfare recipients vote for those who would increase their economic status at the expense of working taxpayers? This is nothing more than government buying votes to enlarge its power. Those who do not have property will almost always vote to take the property of another. John Adams puts it this way, "If you give to every man who has no property, a vote, will you not make a fine encouraging provision for corruption, by your fundamental law? Such is the frailty of the human heart, that very few men who have no property have any judgment of their own. They talk and vote as they are directed by some men of property, who has attached their minds to his interest." And,"The moment the idea is admitted into a society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there in not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. Property must be secured or liberty can not exist."

Division of Powers

There are three branches of government, the legislative (to make laws), the judicial (to make judgments based on those laws), and the executive (to enforce those laws). All three are to conduct themselves within the framework of the constitution. These great powers cannot be trusted in the hands of one person or one group of people. Therefore, to ensure that the people's rights and the constitution are not violated, these powers are divided. As long as the three branches are not united it is expected that each branch will jealously guard against any encroachment of its own powers by another branch. Unfortunately, when one political party controls all three branches this does not happen. Party spirit has destroyed this republican principle. George Washington warned against this in his "Farewell Address."

Seperate Accountability for Each Division of Government

All divisions of government are to ultimately be accountable to the people. However, not all are accountable directly, but go through a filtering down process to guard against the hasty decisions resulting from public passions. Because of this filtering down process, the divisions of government are directly accountable to different sources. The President is accountable to the Electors of the Electoral College who were elected by the people and voted the President into office. The Judges are accountable to the President who appoints them to office and the Senate which confirmed them. The Senators originally were accountable to the State Legislatures that put them into office and the State Legislatures having been put in office by the people of each individual state. The House of Representatives are reserved for direct accountability to the people, because they control the purse and the people should have direct control over those who have the ability to tax them into poverty. The purpose of a Bi-Cameo Legislature is to create two different sources of accountability in the making of laws. The representatives of both branches are to be voted into office by different segments of the population, geographical areas, or lesser governing bodies and it is reasoned that they would then protect the interests of those that put them in office from infringement of the other segments or be removed from office by those they represent. From this we get our system of Checks and Balances. Now that the Senate is directly elected by the people another republican principle has been destroyed. The States have one less method of protection against Federal encroachment.

Rotation

Rotation is far superior to the idea of term limits. With term limits a retiring Senetor can them run for the House of Representatives, the Presidency, any number of state or local offices, or recieve a political appiontee job. Thus, one can still be a professional politician for life. With rotation, once a person has served his term, he must return to the private occupation that he left and live under the laws passed during his term, for an equal number of years to the length of his term in office. With this republican principle in place we have what is called, the citizen legislator, running our government. The citizen legislature is more understanding to the plight of those he serves, because he only lives seperate from those he serves for short period of time. Once he has served an equal number of years in private life, as he served in office, he may them run again for another term in office; followed once again by an equal term in private life. The lack of a rotation provision, in the proposed U.S. Constitution, was Thomas Jefferson's biggest objection to that document. This was also one of the chief concerns of the anti-federalists. Early state constitutions, such as Pennsylvania's and Virginia's, had rotation included in their declaration of rights. Virginia's reads as follows: "....that the members of the first two [legislative and executive] may be restrained from oppression, by feeling and participating the burdens of the people, they should, at fixed periods, be reduced to a private station, return into that body from which they were originally taken, and the vacancies be supplied by frequent, certain, and regular election, in which all or any part of the former members to be again eligible or ineligible, as the law shall direct."

Elected Tax Collectors

Tax collectors that are elected from among their own local communities are less likely to become over zealous in their duties. They would be more careful not to overstep the bounds of their legal authority and thus offend those they collect taxes from, because once having offended the people they would be removed from office at election time. In this manner they are accountable to the people, unlike those employed by the IRS. All levels of government should employ these locally elected tax collectors.

(The following republican principles will commented on as soon as time permits.)

Judges to make decisions on law (not personal opinions or preferences)

Enumerated Powers (bounds set)

Declaration of Rights

Militias

Government not to judge own cause (Trial by Jury)

Impeachment

Gold and silver backed money (paper money creates the hidden tax of inflation)

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