American citizens are not capable of what Madison’s Republic requires of them.

The Government’s Responsibility

The subject of the government’s responsibility in addressing public opinion is still being debated. There is the concept of representative governance, which assumes that popular opinion will be translated into policy (Morgan 870). In essence, a shift in public opinion should be reflected in policy changes and final execution. Indeed, the government has a critical role to play in ensuring that it is as responsive as feasible. The concept of responsiveness should be important to each given democracy’s understanding. In general, a representative government is that which acknowledges the popular sovereignty and prioritizes on the concerns of citizens. James Madison had a unique perspective on what a representative government should be. It is critical to determine whether or not the Americans are capable of living within the confines of Madison’s tenets of representation. The American citizens are not capable of what Madison theorizes regarding the Republic.

The Concept of a Republic

According to Madison, a republic is associated with the representation. It is critical to identify that “republic” and “democracy” are different and ought not to be viewed from the same perspective. In particular, democracy is based on the direct governance of people. In general, the concept of republic means that there is a delegation of power for governance. In particular, a small number of citizens are elected to join the government by a larger fraction of the citizenry. The eventual outcome is that the interests of the larger “citizenry” are represented by those who have been selected to join the government. Of fundamental significance is the need to acknowledge the fact that the concept of a republic is based on a government that derives its powers directly or indirectly from the citizens. The people who have been selected to join the government do so within a particular duration of time as agreed, and with the expectation that they conduct themselves in the highest degree possible. Madison emphasizes the need for a representative government, being that which represents the will of the people (Morgan 579). It is out of such sentiments that during the process of election to various government offices, the citizens are given the mandate to choose them. The approach would result in prohibiting the possibility of selecting a small citizenry from tyrannical nobles who would exercise oppression upon the citizens. Consequently, it is critical that the representative government which is formed is comprised of people elected and hold the appointments within the tenure which has been stipulated. Overall, the sentiments expressed by Madison are within the confines of a description of a citizen.

The Inability of American Citizens

The sentiments expressed by Madison are a reflection of the fact that the American citizens lack the ability to adhere to the tenets which have been illustrated. Madison argues that the pure democracies and the small republics are ill-suited to exercise control over the majority factions. The majority group of individuals is represented as those who have a common interest, and impulse of passion. In the American setup, the citizens undergo a periodic cycle where they select a minor group of individuals who would represent their interest. It is critical to indicate that in the process of election of such individuals, divergent opinions come into play. In essence, different American citizens have varied views on issues. Thus, every citizen would opt to select a given individual to represent their interest. In the process of doing so, it becomes humanly impossible for the American citizens to practice Madison’s description of a representative government.

Citizen Participation and Varying Preferences

The idea of citizen participation is of fundamental significance with regard to the tenets of a representative government. For example, the citizens have a critical role to play in governance. In examining the concept of citizen participation, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that some have taken an active role in ensuring that they keep in touch with the elected officials (Michels and Laurens 479). In particular, the elected officials are being held in check to ensure that they represent the will of the people. However, in applying the concept of a “republic” as illustrated by Madison, it is evident that the American citizens are not entirely capable of conducting themselves within a particular confine of events. Those who resort to participate in governance actively may be doing so because of the need to have their interests addressed. For example, the activist movement on Black Lives Matter aimed at campaigning against racism and violence which is directed against the African Americans (Carey 180). In such a scenario, the African Americans would petition the government to agitate for what they call for (Rickford). The response would be directed toward mitigating against violence and racism faced by blacks in the United States. The problem does not necessarily affect the larger population who are not targeted. The different demands of the American people make it difficult to practice Madison’s view on representative government.

The Citizens of America have varied preferences. In essence, policies which are passed by the different legislative organs are received differently by the citizens. Despite the fact that those elected to such positions either directly, or indirectly are expected to represent public opinion, it is difficult to ensure uniformity in responding toward the concerns of all citizens because of the varying aspects of preferences (Cox III, Buck, and Morgan). For instance, there is a debate regarding the most appropriate gun laws which can be enacted to deal with the rising incidences of violence. In the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, the people have been given the right to keep and bear Arms. However, with the increasing cases of violence, the debate has arisen regarding the need to come up with laws which will help in reducing the increased number of cases of gun violence and injuries resulting from the same (Weinberger et al. 515). Indeed, gun violence is a problem and requires the enactment of laws which deal with the issues. Hence, with the different citizen preferences, it becomes challenging to come up with a policy that will be accepted by either group (Gilens and Benjamin 564). It draws on Madison’s theory of a representative government and a conclusion that the American citizens are not capable of adhering to such tenets.

Voting Behavior and Public Opinion

Public opinion forms a critical aspect of governance in American politics. Indeed, James Madison argues that the people elected to represent the citizens in government must do so while upholding the core interests of the citizenry. A government that is responsive to the needs of the people can be viewed as a republic. Various issues have dominated the American political system with regard to public opinion. For example, there is the debate on abortion. Indeed, the republicans and democrats have a sharp contrast regarding their perception on the issue. The topic of abortion remains to be an emotive issue and has been to elicit different opinion among the citizens. In the just-concluded American presidential elections, Hillary Clinton was of the opinion that any decision regarding a woman’s personal health should be made by her. President Trump, on the other hand, had declared his stance against abortion (Edwards 29). It is critical to acknowledge the fact that each of the two individuals has a following, which observes their ideals. Consequently, every citizen would elect a representative to the government who would be able to present their concerns or develop policies which are in line with their opinion. Based on such sentiments, it becomes difficult for the American citizens to adhere to the sentiments expressed by James Madison. The variation is based on divergent public opinion on various issues.

The Inability of American Citizens (Continued)

The examination of voting behavior helps in providing insight regarding the inability of the American citizens to practice what Madison’s Republic requires of them. For example, the idea of a republic is based on the need to have a common public opinion or interest which forms the basis of policies that are formed by the directly, or indirectly elected government officials. However, in illustrating the voting patterns of the American citizens, there is a manifestation of the significant difference in public interest. For example, there is a group which subscribes to the ideals of the Republicans, while the other is for the Democrats. In the process of voting, such issues are manifested, further indicating the inability of Americans to adhere to what Madison’s Republic requires of them.

Conclusion

Overall, American citizens are not capable of adhering to Madison’s concept of the republic. In general, the analysis acknowledges the variations which exist among citizens, and it forms the basis of the primary argument. All in all, Madison has illustrated the concept of representation while defining what the republic and a democratic governance ought to be.

Works Cited

Carney, Nikita. “All lives matter, but so does race: Black lives matter and the evolving role of social media.” Humanity & Society 40.2 (2016): pp. 180-199.

Cox III, Raymond W., Susan Buck, and Betty Morgan. Public administration in theory and practice. Routledge, 2015.

Edwards, Genevieve. “Women of the world are saying ‘this is wrong’ President Trump’s hard line on abortion will cost thousands of women their lives and put nurses in a terrible position.” Nursing Standard 31.26 (2017): pp. 29-29.

Gilens, Martin, and Benjamin I. Page. “Testing theories of American politics: Elites, interest groups, and average citizens.” Perspectives on politics 12.3 (2014): pp. 564-581.

Michels, Ank, and Laurens De Graaf. “Examining citizen participation: Local participatory policy making and democracy.” Local Government Studies 36.4 (2010): pp. 477-491.

Morgan, Robert J. “Madison’s theory of representation in the tenth Federalist.” The Journal of Politics 36.4 (1974): pp. 852-885.

Rickford, Russell. “Black lives matter: Toward a modern practice of mass struggle.” New Labor Forum. Vol. 25. No. 1. Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, 2016.

Weinberger, Steven E., et al. “Firearm-Related Injury and Death in the United States: A Call to Action from 8 Health Professional Organizations and the American Bar AssociationFirearm-Related Injury and Death in the United States.” Annals of internal medicine 162.7 (2015): pp. 513-516.