Federalist # 10 James Madison

Dangers of Faction Purpose of Government: Control Factions Advantage of well-constructed Union: “Break and control the violence of factions.” Popular Government: Prone to Faction Popular government have a tendency toward this “dangerous vice” States Are Source of the Problem Though worthy governments American constitutions (in the states) have not necessarily controlled this problem –the problem of factions. Example: Massachusetts

Faction: Defined Faction: “A number of citizens…whether…majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse or passion or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.” …

Sources of Faction Common Sources of Faction: Liberty Religion Opinion Many Sources of Faction, but Property Dominant But, “the unequal distribution of property” is “the most common and durable source of faction.” …

Sources of Faction: Legislatures: Man can never been a fair judge of his own interests: “because his own interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity.” Example: Private Debt Law concerning private debt: creditors on one side, debtors on the other. Justice should mediate, but parties are themselves judges, and most numerous, or “most powerful faction must be expected to prevail.” And, we cannot depend on virtuous leaders (“enlightened statesmen”) to “be able to adjust these clashing interests.” …

Curing Factions Two Methods for Curing Factions: 1) Remove its causes 2) Control its effects …

Curing Factions Remove its Cause Two ways of doing this: 1) Destroy liberty which is essential to the existence of faction. 2) Give every citizen the same opinion. …

Liberty and Faction Liberty and Faction: Air to Fire “Liberty is to faction, what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires.” But, “destroying liberty to prevent faction would be a “remedy worse than the disease.” …

Liberty and Opinion Enforce a Way of Thinking? Doing “this is impracticable, and hostile to the fundamental rights of each individual to a arrive at his own opinion. Interests, Property, Factions The fact that man is free, and diverse in abilities results in both different opinions, interests as well as unequal property ownership. …

Solution to Factions Need to Control Effects, Since you Cannot Limit Cause Faction Conclusion: “the causes of faction cannot be removed and that relief is only to be sought in the means of controlling its effects.” …

Solution to Factions Controlling Types of Faction: Minority Faction: Republican government: “which enables a majority to defeat its sinister views by a regular vote.” Majority Faction: Are more difficult to manage: “popular government…enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” …

Majority Factions How to Control Majority Factions Two approaches: 1) Prevent the development of the same feeling among the majority 2) Or, “the majority must be rendered, by their number and local situation, unable to concert and carry into effect schemes of oppression.” …

Majority Faction Dangers of Democracy Direct, majority rule has “no cure for the mis-chiefs of faction.” The majority could rule unrestrained, and democracies invite the development of majoritarian passions. Unstable Form of Government As such, “democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention, have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property.” As a result, they have “been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.” …

Majority Faction How to Render Majority Factions Ineffective: Republic Govt Republican Government provides “the cure for which we are seeking”: 1) Delegation represents the rest in government 2) And greater number of citizens the greater the sphere of Government.

Majority Faction Delegation: “Refines and enlarges the public views by passing them through a medium of a chosen body of citizens…” But, what if a faction tries to elect a designing majority? Solution? …

Majority Faction Large Republics: Benefits: 1) Need to have a sufficient number, but too big a group. Large republics reduce the odds of unfit characters dominating, while small republics increase those odds. 2) Representatives will be chosen from a greater number of citizens and it will thus “be more difficult for unworthy candidates to practice with success the vicious arts by which elections are too often carried.” …

Factions Liberty Minority Faction Religion Opinion Unequal Property Majority Faction (mob rule?) … majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse or passion or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens… Factions CausesEffectsSolutions - Rep Govt: Outvote min faction - Rep Govt: Delegations - Large Republic Remove Causes? “destroying liberty to prevent faction would be a remedy worse than the disease.”