After the Revolution

"Democracy ... arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects," said Aristotle. But if the Philosopher disliked the form of government that arose out of the fallacy of human equality, the Founding Fathers detested it. "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule," said Thomas Jefferson, "where 51 percent of the people may take away the rights of the other 49." James Madison agreed, "Democracy is the most vile form of government." Their Federalist rivals concurred. "Democracy," said John Adams, "never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself....