d underhanded way. It must be noted, however, that while Madison’s rationalization undermines the political power of the people, the fear of the majority and of political factions was not without practical justification on the part of the Framers. Probably the most important event that broke the camel’s back regarding the popular threat to property was Shay’s Rebellion in Massachusetts, where farmers, desiring land and protection against hostile Indian tribes, lead a bloody rebellion in order to gain property. The lack of an organized military force made it difficult to put down the uprising, thus this event confronted multiple fears on behalf of the Framers – the need for an organized national defense (which required centralized power) and the need to protect property. Both of these issues regarding necessary powers were addressed and settled by the Constitution. When Madison referred to the danger of majority faction, this rebellion was likely heavy argumentative ammunition to support his claims. Nonetheless, Madison’s justification for consolidating power because of a military necessity was scoffed at by the anti-Federalists, who saw no such threat that could warrant the creation of so powerful a political body. The other issue of concern for the anti-Federalists in regards to representation was whether politicians could possibly serve the people’s interests, due to the fact that they came from a different class of citizen. The Anti-Federalists believed that political representatives needed to act as a mirror of the American people, their values, and their desires. The Framers, on the other hand, saw representation as a refining process of the ideas and sentiments of the general population, and the more politically educated leaders would ultimately decide what was best for the country, not what was necessarily best for the people. The reality of representation as it would be under the new...
