@HeathMayo
Reading a history right now on the Constitutional Convention and it’s incredible how anti-populist the Framers were. Washington, Madison, and even Jefferson thought a new Constitution was needed to replace the Articles in part because states were too responsive to illiberal mobs.
The desire to insulate government from the passions of populist mobs informed the debates on the Constitution itself. It led to indirect election of Senators; to staggered & longer terms; to mixed representation of House & Senate. All meant to give gov’t a long-term perspective.
And while the Framers didn’t want pure aristocracy, they did want to discourage the election of people who went into politics to make money or a name for themselves. They wanted leaders who were established outside of politics so they’d be less susceptible to influence. |
