Inkwell Institute
The College of Political Knowledge
Professor’s Classroom
Subject: Government/Representation/
Paper #22
After watching and ranting about the government and its misfires, I feel I need to talk about our form of representation….it is our pride and joy…our representative form of democracy….of our Republic.
you want the representative form of government but what type of representation do you want? Yes, Irene, there are several types of representation and our Founders knew this….so what type do you prefer?
The truth of the matter is that your representation SUCKS!
With that out of the way, let us look at the different types and those that pushed the various forms of representation……
There is a reactionary theory of representation….Alexander Hamilton was a believer…the theory is based on the need for law and authority, the executive, the leader of the government, and legislative branch would rule in the interests of the people, as they determined the interests. The people would have their input but the politicians being of superior knowledge and judgment and that they should not be hindered by popular sentiment. And that the masses are required to support the decisions of the leaders since they, the leaders, were acting in the people’s best interests.
James Madison was a believer in the conservative theory of representation, which grants the people control but discourages their public participation in the act of governing. People chose their leaders but do not have the right to force them to act and behave in a very particular way. The people may replace representative only at a prescribed time, a election and with people of the same class as the ones they had, the elites.
The liberal theory of representation was embraced by Thomas Jefferson, that All people were equal and in as such were equally qualified to rule. This form of representation sees the representative as a messenger of his/her constituents. Thus the Rep is obliged to vote the way of the people’s concerns.
Finally the is the radical theory of representation of which only one of our Founders (even if he is ignored) believed and that would be Thomas Paine. This theory proposes that the vast citizenry should have the call as to policy of the nation. This theory holds that the people are the only ones capable of governing themselves. This is what we today call direct democracy and the only true form of representation…but this will never happen….it is NOT what politicians want…..they want input (on a limited basis) but they do NOT want the public to participate in policy.
There has been an argument for decades, even centuries on whether the Reps should be concerned with the people’s will or their interests. What is your opinion on representation?
A very good post – and a good question…
Most people who have any interest at all in politics seem to start “adult” life as students who are frequently activists – both proactive and reactive. I seem to have gone the other way – I was once far more conservative (small ‘c’) than I am today, though I suspect that is born more of despair than anything – and disgust!
#3 (Jefferson’s version) these days amounts to nothing more than #1 or #2 with “spin” added. So, it is my view that numbers 1, 2 and 3 are merely the same thing wearing a different hat. Therefore, #4 is the ONLY accceptable way forward in my opinion.
However (or BUT, if you prefer 😈 ), we are today in a very different situation from that of fifty+ years ago, before the modern communications explosion began – and THERE lies the problem!
Today, most people get their information from TV and that’s a very dangerous situation since there are few channels (if any) that most people actually watch that provide unbiased and clear information about political matters (or about almost anything in fact) – sensationalism, muck-slinging, sound-bite politics, heavily ‘spun’ infornation and downright lying is poured out by the oil-spill full to the almost total exclusion of truth and reality – so government actually BY the people would probably be no better and perhaps even worse, even if we managed to achieve it.
We are now, in truth, I believe, faced with the terrifying prospect of nothing short of outright Corporate Communism throughout much of the world and frankly, I’m not sure there IS a way forward for most people at all.
The supremacy of the “Rat Race” and Corporate dominance may well rule supreme for a thousand years – maybe more!
👿
Thanx for the props….and you have done it again…..we agree…most people have NO idea what is really going on in their representation…they like the word but that is as far as it goes…..most people do NOT want to hear the truth only what they perceive as the truth…..
I try to help people at least know what the fuck they are talking about….but so far, for the least 40 years, I have failed
Yeah, I know what you mean… 🙁
You would think that a couple of well versed individuals would get more attention….lol
Interesting post.
By your descriptions, it seems the modern U.S. is closest to the Madisonian view of representation, with frequent forays into Hamilton’s view (neoconservatism?) and occasional dabbles in Jefferson’s. In terms of rhetoric, I’d say nearly all politicians adopt the Jeffersonian view, while betraying it in practice.
That sounds about right to me…
Hiya Clint…..I think you are accurate…..a good observation