Hamilton was making the claim that direct democracies become corrupted by tyrants. He argues that ancient democracies were characterized by tyranny and chaos, implying that they led to situations where the people were misled or controlled by ambitious leaders.
Except from Speech by Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist at the Constitutional Convention
It has been observed by an honorable gentleman [Smith], that a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has proven, that no position in politics is more false than this. The ancient democracies, in which the people themselves deliberated, never possessed one feature of good government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity: When they assembled, the field of debate presented an ungovernable mob, not only incapable of deliberation, but prepared for every enormity. In these assemblies, the enemies of the people brought forward their plans of ambition systematically. They were opposed by their enemies of another party; and it became a matter of contingency, whether the people subjected themselves to be led blindly by one tyrant or by another.
Use the passage to answer the question.
What claim was Hamilton making?
(1 point)
Direct democracies are the purest form of government.
• Direct democracies become corrupted by tyrants.
• The United States is too big to be a democracy.
Ancient democracies worked, but are unworkable today.
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1 answer