Should Government Be Entrusted to the Common Man?

The Virtue of the People

Jefferson and Hamilton held very different views of humanity. This was of great importance when considering how much political power to entrust to the people and how much to remove and protect the government from the people. Jefferson, for example, argued that man is essentially good, rational, and just and so believed that giving men political power was safe and prudent. Hamilton, on the other hand, considered men to be distrustful, self-interested, and easily manipulated and so believed the government should be protected from the masses and entrusted only to a small elite.

Thomas Jefferson

“I am persuaded myself that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army. . . . They may be led astray for a moment, but will soon correct themselves.”

—Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787

Alexander Hamilton

“Has it not . . . invariably been found that momentary passions, and immediate interests, have a more active and imperious control over human conduct than general or remote considerations of policy, utility and justice?”

—Alexander Hamilton, Federalist, no. 6

Think About

In an indirect democracy, elected persons represent the people and vote for laws and policies on their behalf. In a direct democracy, the people vote on laws and policies themselves. Based on the quotes above, who do you think would have favored an indirect democracy rather than a direct democracy, and why?

Jefferson trusted the people to act wisely and thought that the government should leave citizens as free as possible to act as they wished. Like the English philosopher John Locke, Jefferson was convinced that people were capable of making sound decisions when they were given enough information. And Jefferson held that although the people might make mistakes, governments could usually rely on the public’s good judgment.

Hamilton held a generally negative view of mankind. Like the 17th-century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, Hamilton believed that people were naturally self-interested and inclined toward greed rather than virtue. He did not believe that people based their decisions on what was best for everyone; therefore, he sought to place government in the hands of an enlightened elite.

The frontispiece of the book "The Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes.

Take Notes

In the first row of the chart below, summarize Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s position on the virtue of the people. Provide at least one reason to explain why each man held the position that he did.