Alexander Hamilton

When looking over the reading, I was struck by Alexander Hamilton's plan for the government of America. Hamilton believed that one of the keys to a beneficial and stable government was a wealthy ruling class. He thought that to be effective, government needed the help of the elite, and thus imposed his "Funded Debt proposal". This proposal stated that the certificates of indebtedness that had been issued to wealthy speculators would be called back and replaced with interest- bearing bonds. This gave the elite bond owners a reason to want the government to prosper. After reading the passage, a few aspects of it stood out to me. I found it fascinating how much Hamilton believed that an elite class was so imperative to a strong government. In fact, I remember discussing a topic similar to this a few classes ago, debating whether a society could be based on economic equality or whether there needed to be a separation of classes, for example, wealthy and poor. Personally I believe that, although it would be ideal to have a government based on equality, it seems nearly impossible and somewhat impractical. As long as money exists, there is never going to be complete economic equality. Economic equality could be compared to communism, and as we know, communism failed. But what do you guys think? Can a government be founded on equality, or do you agree with Hamilton, in that there must be a separation of classes for government to be effective? Lastly ,I feel Hamilton's ideas were similar to the early forms of capitalism and "trickle down" economics. Hamilton concluded that one of the most crucial aspects of a successful government was the involvement of the elite class. This is related to capitalists, who believe that if you invest in the upper class, it will trickle down and benefit the society as a whole. Socialists, however, believe that society benefits when everyone, regardless of status, receives equal opportunity. Do you agree that Hamilton's ideas could be compared to capitalism? Share your thoughts :)