I was reading an analysis of Federalist 67-77, ascribed to Alexander Hamilton, in which he asserts and defends the need for a national executive (the President), as opposed to simply relying on a legislature for national leadership. I did not know that under the Articles of Confederation that preceded the Constitution there apparently was no executive.
Hamilton highlighted an interesting fundamental difference between the two in function: a legislature is given to deliberation which is appropriate and an executive is given to action which is also appropriate.
Any group or organization needs both. Leaders who charge forth without any sense of discussion, consensus-building, or deliberation eventually wear out the mature. Group members who only deliberate and never make a decision to act wear themselves out as well.
I have found a third trait at work: when a group gets too large, opinions actually stop rather than proliferate. Bible talks I have led (or staff groups, etc.) with 4-6 people produce remarkable innovative thinking; but when the room is full of people--10-15--it's difficult to speak up more than once in an hour or so!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I posted a bit too fast. I meant to add, then, that large groups inhibit the ebb and flow of good opinion-formation.
Scott -
Excellent reading your posts this week!
By the way, you should be able to edit your post and add or subtract from it by clicking on the pencil icon at the bottom of each entry.
Should be able to anyway...
Looks like you found the key ingredient leading to the call for a "federal" system of united states. Under the Articles of Confederation instituted by the second Continental Congress each state had it's own militias, currency and trade restrictions. Eventually this led to a great number of quarrels as you can imagine and eventually a call for a new Constitution.
Lots of spiritual symbolism...including the whole many parts one body concept. We see that many parts and many bodies does not work. And as you pointed out there is symbolism in the executive and legislative, Christ and the body. We may deliberate and propose but God executes with option of veto.
Anyways, I could go on for days regarding the spiritual origins the founding fathers engrained purposefully or not into our government. Thanks for your great posts.
Post a Comment