Chapters 13-16 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 13: Opposition to the New Jersey Plan (June 19th)

Madison is strongly in favor of a federal plan. Government legitimacy comes from consent and so there must be some direct democracy in a legitimate government. Yet a government must protect the rights of the people against encroachment by the government itself, and so must have wise, virtuous individuals who have an interest in restraining its power and who can afford to ignore the people from time to time. He argues against the New Jersey Plan on the grounds that it cannot effectively adjudicate conflicts between states or within them, and cannot effectively hold foreign powers at bay. He argues that the smaller states have reason to endorse representation per person, rather than per state.

Chapter 14: Debate on Federalism (June 21st)

These debates concern the tendency of states and the...