James Madison's Montpelier We The People Spring 2018 WTP_Spring_2018_FINAL_web | Page 2

WITH GREAT INTENTION,
DEMOCRACY ENDURES
Factions are the strands from which the DNA of
American democracy is built, and yet each generation
of Americans faces one or more existential challenges
to our form of government as a result of factionalism.
Crises emerge as one faction rises to power, undertaking economic, social, or
military action that alienates an increasing proportion of our populace.
In the past, such fault lines have emerged over time and made themselves
known through tremors. The result was often devastating in hindsight,
especially with regards to the factional compromises that preserved slavery and
our collective struggle to contend with that legacy. But throughout our nation’s
history, the principles of the Constitution—themselves established by robust
conversation and debate between rival factions—have held firm, offering a path
through and beyond our worst moments as a nation.
Today feels different. The evolution of mass communication as an unfiltered
and real-time aspect of our lives has accelerated the passionate division among
citizens. As Jack Rakove states and Madison argued, the more diversity a
republic has, the more the republic depends on genuine debate. Yet debate
is suffering as our leaders emphasiz