Federalist #43

The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered (cont.) (Madison)

In the final essay concerning the relation of powers conferred to the federal government by the Constitution, Madison address the fourth class of miscellaneous powers. Madison spends a far amount of time arguing why the federal government should have absolute power over the seat of government and why a state would be willing to turn over such land to the federal government. When it comes to admission of new states, Madison reminds his audience that the Articles of Confederation do not have a process for the creation of new states. The power to guarantee to every state a republican form of government is, for Madison, intuitive and necessary for the republic to work. The closer the working relationship, the more the federal government should protect the people from aristocratic or monarchial innovations. He argues that this power is also important to ensure the limited nature of the federal government. When it comes to amending the Constitution, Madison argues that the procedures laid out in Article V strike a balance between being responsive to the wishes of the people while preventing tyranny of the majority.