The Age of Media

Do these changes in the media, both changes in who gets to participate in conversations and how those conversations are carried out, necessitate any reconsideration or reevaluation of the praise heaped on a large republic by the authors, especially by Madison in Federalist 10 and Federalist 51?

I believe we can view the advancement of “social media” in two different ways when it comes to this context. One view presents a positive relationship, while the latter shows a negative correlation.

First, let’s look at the bright side of things. Social media has given the public unprecedented access to politics. Anyone is capable of keeping up with every move of their representative or senator. In this case, social media does the checks and balances system justice. It allows for the checks on representatives to become harsher than ever. Society can quickly deem the conduct of any representative as just or fitting for their favorable ideals.

Second, allow me to explore the negative effect that the advancement of social media has on the proposed “large republic” in Federalist Paper’s 10 and 51.  Immediately, one can pull out that Madison’s most significant fear is large majority factions overtaking the entire realm of politics, resulting in the alienation of minority view holders. Social media brings this fear to life. Networking websites such as Facebook, Reddit, and various others allow users to connect and post at a rapid pace. The most giant pages or threads on these websites hold the most likes or followers, which in turn provide them with the most attention. These websites are not dominated by which group holds the best and most favorable views, instead by pages that are endorsed by celebrities and attract public attention. Above all, the most troublesome aspect of this is that these large social media outlets give a platform to those with the intent of just acquiring attention, and not telling the truth. This becomes dangerous, as society is left to sort what is real and what is attention-grabbing propaganda.

Personally, I believe the advancement of social media calls for a definitive revaluation of the praise of large republics. In the environment we find ourselves in today, ambition is not allowed to counteract ambition but rather is met by conspiracy and domination. Ideas of minority parties are not allowed to flow freely as large majorities dominate the political spectrum.