Federalist Paper No. 10: Factions

Federalist Paper No. 10 Summary

• Written by James Madison, and published on November 23, 1787
• Addresses how a well-constructed Union can control the violence caused by factions
• Argues that factions are a dangerous vice in popular governments, leading to instability and injustice

Definition of Faction

• Faction: a group of citizens united by a common passion or interest that opposes the rights of others or the community's interests

Curing the Mischiefs of Faction

• Two primary methods to address the issues caused by factions: removing the causes or controlling the effects

Removing the Causes of Faction

• Two ways to remove the causes: destroying liberty or giving everyone the same opinions/interests
• Destroying liberty to eliminate faction is worse than the problem itself because liberty is essential to political life, just as air is essential to animal life
• Ensuring everyone has the same opinions/interests is impractical due to human fallibility and self-love

Diversity and Property

• Diversity in human faculties is an obstacle to uniform interests, with the protection of these faculties being the government's primary job
• Protecting different and unequal property acquisition leads to varying types and degrees of property
• These differences result in a society divided by interests and parties

Sources of Faction

• Latent causes of faction are rooted in human nature and are seen in varying degrees across all societies
• Zeal for differing opinions on religion and government, attachment to leaders, and unequal property distribution are all sources of division

Faction and Justice

• Allowing individuals to judge their own cases is unjust due to biased judgment
• Similarly, legislative acts often become judicial determinations concerning the rights of large citizen groups
• Legislators act as advocates for the groups they represent and must avoid advancing special interests through governmental policy decisions that violate the rights of others

The Problem of Predominant Factions

• The most powerful faction often prevails
• Temptation arises for a dominant party to disregard justice, burdening the minority to benefit themselves

Controlling the Effects of Faction

• The causes of faction are irremovable, and relief can only come from controlling the effects

Factions and Republicanism

• If a faction is a minority, then the republican principle allows the majority to outvote and defeat its views
• When a majority forms a faction, popular government allows it to sacrifice public good and the rights of others

Securing Public and Private Rights

• Securing public good and private rights while preserving popular government is the central challenge
• This can be achieved by preventing a majority from having the same passion/interest or by rendering such a majority unable to act oppressively

Pure Democracy vs. Republic

• A pure democracy in a small society cannot cure faction because a majority will often share a common interest and easily sacrifice the weak
• A republic, using representation, offers a solution to faction

Differences Between Democracy and Republic

• Republics delegate government to elected citizens and can extend over a larger population and area
• Representation refines public views through a body of wise citizens, less likely to sacrifice the public good for temporary gains
• However, representatives can be corrupt, highlighting the question of scale in republics

Small vs. Extensive Republics

• Larger republics are more favorable for electing capable leaders
• A larger population is needed to elect representatives, making it harder for unworthy candidates to succeed through nefarious means
• The people's votes will more freely center on those with merit and established character

The Federal Constitution

• The federal Constitution balances local and national interests, referring aggregate interests to the national level and local concerns to state legislatures

The Advantage of the Union

• A larger republic has an advantage over a smaller one due to its greater variety of interests, making it harder for a majority to oppress others
• The Union offers the benefits of representation by enlightened leaders who are free from local prejudices

Security Through Variety

• The Union increases security through a greater variety of parties, preventing any single faction from dominating

Limiting the Spread of Faction

• Factious leaders might incite issues in specific states, but struggle to spread conflict across the entire Union
• Problems like paper money or debt abolition will struggle to influence the entire Union, as such issues are more likely to affect a local area

Republican Remedy

• The Union's structure serves as a republican remedy for issues common in republican governments
• People should cherish and support federalist ideals