Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
4525796
label
Inter-Parliamentary Union, Belgrade, September 19, 1963
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
4525796
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Inter-Parliamentary Union, Belgrade, September 19, 1963
citationUrl
collections
Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
subjects
Pressure groups
iiifBase
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
4525796
coverageEndDate
logicalDate
1963-09-30
month
9
year
1963
coverageStartDate
logicalDate
1963-09-01
month
9
year
1963
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
url
mediaId
f469a825376563cd
ocrText
The original documents are located in Box D16, folder "Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Belgrade, September 19, 1963" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and
Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D16 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Speech by The Honorable Gerald B. Ford, Jr. before the Inter-Parliamentary
Union at Belgrade, September 19, 1963
Mr. Charamon
Our subject matter at this session, "Representation of Social and
Economic Interests in the National Legislature, in is of the utmost significance
in the years ahead ---- perhaps more so than ever question,
before preservation The basic of performents
however, is how best? these objectives can be accomplished. Utopia is mn
am - but achievement will vary - country by country some nature will
mud
more
I hope I may be forgiven if I sound a national note, but in my country change, less.
this problem was recognized from the outset. James Madison, perhaps the chief some
very founding forms nation.
Let me
architect of our constitution, wrote in Number 10 of The Federalist, in which
hower
say
The
he was arguing for the adoption of that historic document, said: "A landed
tis
interest, the manufacturing interest, a mercantile interest, a monied interest,
with many lesser interests, grows up of necessity in civilized nations and
divides them into different sentiments and views. The regulation of these
various and interfering interests forms the principal task of modern legislation
The
and involves the spirit of party and faction in the necessary sand ordinary
the instrud josium
operation of the government."
in the late century
This clash of economic interest groups which Madison discussed is still
with us. Quite frankly, it invigorates our politics in the United States. One
of the chief functions of our political party system is to blunt the severity
of this clash, to serve as a funnel through which competing interests may be
moulded into a single viewpoint. We have a strong two party system with
wide professional, ummic r social participation
admittery Functional organizations such as labor unions, management organizations,
agricultural associations and professional groups must find expression in our
INSTITUTIONS
various parliaments if representative instructuions are to be truly meaningful
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
Mr. Ford, page two - 9/19/63
Specific parliamentary representation according to significant economic pressure
groups is one way to accomplish this aim. This would be imprectival + highly
importable in our crienty
Another leading American political leader, during the first half of the
19th century, John C. Calhoun, proposed in his "Disquisition on Government" that
government can become the instrument through which one interest can oppress and
impoverish the others. To avoid this possibility, Calhoun suggested the powers
of government be divided and distributed in such a way that each division or.
interest, through its appropriate organization, be given either a concurrent voice
in making and executing the laws, or a veto on their execution. This is Calhoun's
doctrine of concurrent majority, in which ordinary suffrage and ordinary represen-
tation would be supplemented by what amounts to functional representation. He
argued that in this way the representative process would afford greater protection
for all, and in essence, greater justice.
On the other hand, I am informed that different versions of functional
representation were used by the Fascist regime in Italy and by the Weimar
Republic in Germany as well. Some modern-day theorists in government argue
that lobbying organizations in America are a form of functional representation.
As I see stretching point a degree obbyists The
although it this 2 ancede is such organization the to are considerable helpful in providing and information
for
both
expective
in America are not in any way whatsoever an official part of or an adjunct
of
to our government. For further clarification, I should say such groups are
Logostature
branches
controlled in many ways by legislation and conceivably may be more so in the
af pot
future.
QERALD FORD LIBRARY
Mr. Ford, page three - 9/19/63
Despite the previous attempts to put into practice functional
representation in government, despite the theories of some contemporary
political writers, the overwhelming weight of the evidence on hand argues
convincingly against the adoption of this approach to just and
effective representation in our modern day parliamentary systems.
For example, elected delegates representing specific units of
society such as agricultural or industrial workers, or management, would
obviously possess far too narrow a focus on the multitude of problems facing
the nation. These individuals identified by a precise economic interest would
owe their basic allegiance to regidly ridigly aligned groups and, in my judgment,
would lack the breadth of viewpoint to perform effectively their true
legislative function. both domestic + enternational problems.
Another difficulty that arises is purely quantitative. Is people
are to be represented according to their memberships in interest groups,
how would you apportion the weight to be allotted to the various interests
in order to approximate justice? How many representatives of labor must
there be? How many of capital? How many for agriculture? How many for
professional and technical associations?
From a positive pesigien, the most persuasive argument this new
point Inrew
against
in its broadest context
theory is that one's interest as a citizen takes precedence over one's
interest as a member of a particular group.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
Mr. Ford, page four - - 9/19/63
The proponents of functional representation will argue that people
have less in common as inhabitants of their particular community than they
have in ways of earning a living. Therefore, they contend that geography as
a basis of representation has been and should be demoted in the representative
system and that loyalty to locality should be replaced by allegiance to
function. Allegedly this is a result of the division of labor and the high
degree of specialization in a modern industrial society.
From practical experience in our country, and I trust in yours,
our people place their principal loyalty and allegiance to the national
government. They are first and foremost citizens of the nation. They expect
their elected representatives to act on their behalf with original and primary
focus on the national aspect of all problems. This does not mean that our
citizens lack a local, a geographical allegiance. This does not mean that our
citizens do not have strong and divergent ideological, philosophical or
economic views. I only say that all interests other than the nation's are
secondary on the ladder of priorities.
This being true, it is my belief that our representative government
should be based on a pattern that in practice has not divided, but solidified
a people. We find from experience the average legislator chosen on a
geographical basis is responsibly conscious of the territorial, economic
and social interests in his constituency and does his best to represent
FORD i LIBRARY GERALD
Mr. Ford, page five - 9/19/63
them. However, when the choice is drawn between the national interest on the
one hand, and any other - be it geographic, economic or social ---- the
decision is easy. The legislative representative votes for the broader
choice. In my judgment, this would be the true reflection of the people,
who look upon themselves first as citizens and thereafter as a part of an
economic or social segment of society.
Furthermore, history records that the key programs of important
social and economic groups -- once such social problems and policies have
established their merit and have won acceptance of popular majorities ----
usually are enacted into law. Finally, from our experience, the legislature
based on the territorial constituency is far more likely to attain consensus
on a broad national scale than one organized to give voice to economic and
social interests.
In conclusion: If we have deficiencies, if our efforts are not
perfect, and effective representation, let us make those essential changes head 2 the
with The tools at hand. The 10 pmt programs mintioned ly Mrs st, Ceorge, q.d
in a constructive manner. 1 established But to achieve the goal of better representation, deleiption
let us not tear asunder tried and true systems of representative government
bet no not substitute
is snaml n
that, over the years, have brought cohesion to our people, for bat
the
approach.
might well divide in bitter battle segmento of/citizens of OHIO representative
countries.
FORD if LIBRARY GERALD
as the last americant end) speaker may 2 thank The
delegats for The consideration of our reino of may
2 express our appreciation to item for ther
generns + when hospitally