Federal Farmer IX - Diluting Power
Federal Farmer IX is an Anti-Federalist Paper which focuses on types of politicians and the number of Representatives under the Constitution.
“...when the political pot boils, the skum will often get uppermost and make its appearance.”
Federal Farmer IX
January 4, 1788
In Federal Farmer IX, the Anti-Federalist author continues his argument on the structure of the House of Representatives in the US Constitution.
The Farmer reviews the three types of candidates for office before elaborating on why the number of Congressmen should be increased.
Types of Politicians
The Farmer begins his discussion by outlining the three classes of political figures.
The first is from the ‘natural aristocracy’ by which he means the elite class of people who arise in any free society.
The second are ‘popular demagogues’ who make themselves a popular figure more on their character than with wealth or substantial policy.
Third are the “substantial and respectable part of the democracy…(who are) often overlooked.” The Farmer believes it is the duty of a free society to bring this third group to power. Unfortunately, it seems to be that these people are not usually interested in self-promotion and are therefore not well known outside of their own communities.
The solution, according to the Farmer, is more Congressmen.
More Representatives
The remainder of the Paper is dedicated to proving that an increase in the number of Representatives would be the best fix for a wide number of problems inherent in the Constitution.
Among these, the most important is the idea that more Congresspersons would make power within the Government more diluted, lessening the ability (and therefore the chance) of people to take advantage of their election.
This, in turn, would push the interests of the wealthy into the private sector, allowing the third class of political figures the opportunity to participate in the Government.
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