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TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Politics > Madison's Definition of Republic and the Size of the State

Madison draws a sharp distinction between a "democracy" and a "republic". Madison understands a democracy to be a state governed by direct democracy. That is, a state in which an assembly of citizens meets in order to govern the state. This necessitates that the size of the state should be relatively small, so as to afford the opportunity of political participation to everyone.

A republic, on the other hand, is characterised by a system of delegation/representation and "enlarged extent". Firstly, the people elect delegates to represent them in a republic. This filters the opinions of the people, and allows those who can best discern the public good to rule. Secondly, a republic extends over a wider area and populace than a democracy. This allows the proper guardians of the public good to be elected. Why? Whether the republic is small or large, there has to be a certain number o men elected. But in a large republic, there is more choice, so there is a greater chance of high quality candidates being chosen. Also, because the candidates are chosen by more people, it will harder for people to "practice with success the vicious arts by which elections are too often carried". It will also mean that men with the most attractive personal qualities are chosen.

Size of the State

Antifederalists such as New York's Brutus had argued that a free republic could not exist if it was the size of all the states in America. History has supposedly furnished us with many examples of small states that had managed to remain free. But once these states had stretched over a wide area tyranny had appeared.

Publius responds in Federalist Number 9 by saying that political science has created new ways in which states can remain free whilst being increased in size. He turns the anti-federalist's leveraging of Monteseqiue around, and argues that Montesqiue's notion of the confederate republic is the most applicable to the United States.

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