The danger in our system is that the general government, which represents the interests of the whole, may encroach on the states, which represent the peculiar and local interests, or that the latter may encroach on the former.
John C. CalhounRead
Stripped of all its covering, the naked question is, whether ours is a federal or consolidated government; a constitutional or absolute one; a government resting solidly on the basis of the sovereignty of the States, or on the unrestrained will of a majority; a form of government, as in all other unlimited ones, in which injustice, violence, and force must ultimately prevail.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote addresses the fundamental nature and structure of government, debating its federal versus absolute nature.
John C. Calhoun's quote explores the critical distinction between a decentralized, federal government and a centralized, absolute government. It emphasizes the underlying principles that guide governance, specifically noting how the legitimacy of governmental power either stems from state sovereignty or the unchecked will of the majority, ultimately warning that any form of unregulated authority risks leading to injustice and force.
Themes
GovernmentSovereigntyFederalAbsolutismPowerJustice
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used to initiate a discussion on the role of government in a political science class.
More from John C. Calhoun
All quotes →There is a tendency in all parties, when they have been for a long time in possession of power, to augment it.
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I hold that there is a mysterious connection between the fate of this country and that of Mexico; so much so that her independence and capability of sustaining herself are almost as essential to our prosperity and the maintenance of our institutions as they are to hers.
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The error is in the assumption that the General Government is a party to the constitutional compact. The States ... formed the compact, acting as sovereign and independent communities.
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There is not an example on record of any free state holding a province of the same extent and population without disastrous consequences. The nations conquered and held as a province have, in time, retaliated by destroying the liberty of their conquerors through the corrupting effect of extended patronage and irresponsible power.
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Restore, without delay, the equilibrium between revenue and expenditures, which has done so much to destroy our credit and derange the whole fabric of government. If that should not be done, the government and country will be involved, ere long, in overwhelming difficulties.
John C. CalhounRead
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