Democracy in America Final Paper

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On the other hand, the Hamiltonian model emphasizes the need and the benefits of having a strong executive branch. Hamilton, in Federalist 70, focuses on explaining how a democracy can only function if the presidency is held to higher standards, given more respect, and given definitive power to run the country. According to Hamilton, “Energy in the Executive is a leading character in the definition of good government.” Hamilton contemplates that while the Executive must be strong, the only elected official in the executive branch should be the president. Hamilton stressed the importance of having the executive branch have the power and strength to carry out all the necessary functions for ruling a government that has the people’s interests in mind.

Hamilton’s views are a very accurate representation of what is necessary in our democracy today. A president should be the leader who sets the political and democratic tone of our nation. A contemporary example is LGBT issues. Even though President Obama had nothing to do with the recent Supreme Court case that legalized gay marriage nationwide, he has been an outspoken proponent and advocate of these issues for years. From his leadership, many laws in states around the country have continued to advance these issues. Another concrete example is that of national security. The commander-in-chief should be he who fights tirelessly for the defense of American borders. In the modern arena, one can look at President Obama’s administration being the lead governmental force fighting ISIS globally, through the State Department, and the military, which is overseen by the commander-in-chief.

In Government by Discussion, Barker details his ideal form of government, which considers “the thought, the will, and the general capacity of every member.” Specifically, Barker proposes the idea of having a two party system, which contradicts the Madisonian model as well as the Hamiltonian model. In addition, Barker also stressed the importance of a strong executive branch. He adds that the executive branch must be unified, which relates to Hamilton’s idea of a unified executive branch. However, Barker adds his own thoughts on executive unification to his main political view that political opposition and parties are necessary for democracy. He believes that political parties are “indispensable instruments of government.” Barker also maintains that parties provide choice by providing voters with a variety of options. He later on explains that the existence of parties allows for the continual flow of ideas that are important to our society. He justifies these views by saying that political parties are “a way of reinforcing the constitutional framework within which the voter may without peril exercise his freedom of political choice.”

As stated earlier, Barker’s vision of a democratic government is the most logical and coherent. Acknowledging the inevitable nature of factions, he points to their positive contributions to the political system, calling on ways for people and the government to harness their existence. Further, by supporting a strong executive, Barker clearly understands the necessity of a centralized leader of the democracy, similar to Hamilton. Barker’s model is also the preferred model because of the focus that it places on the people, rather than the government. Whether talking about the executive or political parties, Barker almost always relates his argument back to the people, and how they are benefitted; this truly exemplifies democracy in America.

To conclude, Madison, Hamilton, and Barker all had one thing in common despite their ideological differences: to create theories that would represent the formation and continuation of democracy in America. Barker’s model of government best explains democracy due to its combination of modern events with the foundational ideas of democracy created by Madison and Hamilton and those interest groups created. Barker’s emphasis on the importance of having political parties together with Madison’s warnings of tyranny and Hamilton’s need for executive power is the most accurate definition of what explains democracy in America.