America is not (and never has been) a democracy
Signing the Constitution of the United States of America
Our Founding Fathers were not fond of democracy.
Additional Information
Most of the fifty-five delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 had been given specific instructions to do nothing more than amend the Articles of Confederation. The first thing they decided to do was to ignore those instructions and draft an entirely new document. The second thing they decided to do what to take a vow of secrecy. Not a word spoken in the room where they were meeting was to be shared with the public or the press. But James Madison took copious notes, using a system of shorthand he devised himself.
The others in attendance knew that he was taking notes. In fact, he checked with those who had spoken each day to verify that he had captured their remarks accurately. They knew that they could trust him not to share those notes with the press or the public. And their trust was well placed. The notes that Madison took were not published until after his death and as the youngest of the 55 men who worked through that long, hot summer to adopt the Constitution of the United States, he was also the last to pass away.
Madison’s Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, is considered to be the most complete and most accurate record of what was said and who said it. Speaking off the record and behind closed doors, the delegates were free to share their true feelings about democracy.
Here are a few of their remarks (as reported by Madison):
Edmund Randolph observed that “the general object was to provide a cure for the evils under which the U. S. labored; that in tracing these evils to their origin every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy.”
Roger Sherman referred to “the inconveniencies of democracy” and “opposed the election by the people, insisting that it ought to be by the State Legislatures. The people, he said, immediately should have as little to do as may be about the Government. They want (lack) information and are constantly liable to be misled.”
Elbridge Gerry: “The evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy. The people do not want virtue but are the dupes of pretended patriots. In Massachusetts, it had been fully confirmed by experience that they are daily misled into the most baneful measures and opinions by the false reports circulated by designing men, and which no one on the spot can refute.”
Note: It was Elbridge Gerry who once drew an electoral map that contained district lines so convoluted some seeing them thought that one district resembled a salamander, hence, the term “gerrymander.”]
Of John Dickenson: “A limited Monarchy he considered as one of the best Governments in the world. It was not certain that the same blessings were derivable from any other form. It was certain that equal blessings had never yet been derived from any of the republican form.”
With regard to electing the president, George Mason, “conceived it would be as unnatural to refer the choice of a proper character for chief Magistrate to the people, as it would, to refer a trial of colors to a blind man.” Charles Pinkney agreed, saying that “An election by the people being liable to the most obvious and striking objections. They will be led by a few active and designing men.”
With regard to electing the president, George Mason, “conceived it would be as unnatural to refer the choice of a proper character for chief Magistrate to the people, as it would, to refer a trial of colors to a blind man.” Charles Pinkney agreed, saying that “An election by the people being liable to the most obvious and striking objections. They will be led by a few active and designing men.” epresentatives, and different numbers of people different numbers of representatives.” Wilson was not alone in defending democracy, but he and others who shared his opinions were greatly outnumbered (and out-voted).
