Final answer:
Thomas Paine advocated for republicanism, a government led by elected representatives prioritizing the public good. He suggested that a republic could devolve into tyranny if citizens lost their virtue. Paine’s ideals influenced the preference for a republic over pure democracy due to fears that majority rule could lead to the oppression of minority rights and property.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Paine conceived of republicanism as a political philosophy where a nation is governed by elected representatives rather than a hereditary monarch. In Paine's view, a republic operates on the principle of popular sovereignty, where the citizens have the power to elect their leaders under majority rule. Republicanism is not only a system of government but also demands a social philosophy of virtue from its citizens, committing to the public good over individual interests. However, revolutionary leaders tied civic virtue to property ownership, thus showing a bias toward property holders having the right to vote and participate in governance. This limited democracy and maintained an elite class capable of guiding the republic. Paine warned that a republic would give way to tyranny if the people became corrupt and lost their commitment to public virtue.
Republicanism vs. Democracy
Paine's republicanism differed from pure democracy, where majority rule could potentially overpower minority rights and lead to a tyranny of the majority. Wealthy landowners and merchants feared that a democracy could threaten their property and wealth by enabling a majority to redistribute it. Thus, they favored a republic that could mitigate such risks. According to James Madison, in a large republic, the variety of sects and interests would make it difficult for a majority coalition to oppress a minority, thus reducing the risks of tyranny and enabling a balance between different factions.