Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1993. [Vol. 1.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 21)
STUDIES - András Tamóc: The Politics of a Cast-Iron Man. John C. Calhoun and His Views on Government.
government, tailor-made to the current political situation. The identity of the latest safeguard was revealed in the Disquisition's companion essay, titled "A Discourse on the Constitution". 2 7 Recognizing that antagonistic sectional interests might eventually drive the Union apart, Calhoun designed a system of dual executives as a barrier against centrifugal influences. Just as man lives in the vortex of conflicting emotions, society is the product of competing forces too. Positive force is exerted in the form of governmental action such as law making. The embodiment of negative power is the popular veto. Constitutional democracies are based on the equilibrium of positive and negative forces. Since the guiding principles of the Constitution could not ensure this balance and protect the South from Northern domination, a new line of defense was needed. Each section had to have a president with mutual veto power. Calhoun, similarly to the Founding Fathers expressed a pessimistic view of humanity and contemplated the "Republican Dilemma". Sixty years prior to Calhoun James Madison published his seminal analysis of democracy, "Federalist No. 10". Written in support of ratification of the Constitution the essay recognized democracy's fundamental weakness, its tendency to turn into a "tyranny of the majority". Since in a democratic society public policy is based on interest group competition, a ruling faction might emerge violating minority concerns. In addition to a strong central government and a political system based on separation of powers, Madison proposed a "Republican Remedy". The political arena should be expanded to allow equal participation for all competing interests. The higher the number of factions, the lesser the likelihood of a tyrannical majority. 2 8 Calhoun came to a different conclusion. After examining the question of balancing the result of political participation with community 2 7 Merill D. Peterson, The Great Triumvirate (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 413. 2 8 Kenneth M. Dolbeare, American Political Thought (New Jersey: Chatham House, 1981), p. 271. 102
