Noam Chomsky: Critique of Madisonian Democracy

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Mr. Chomsky examined the principle and practice of democracy in the U.S. over the past 200 years. He argued that the democratic order encapsulated in the Constitution, principally by James Madison, declared the right to own property as the preeminent foundation of the social order and was therefore designed to protect those who owned property by ensuring their control over the government. He also argued that this system has not evolved to include broader segments of the population, as some have claimed, but has made possible the development of industrial capitalism which depends on governmental largesse and exploits the bulk of the population. After his remarks, he took questions from the audience. 4/4/97