Among many thing that concerned James Madison (1751- 1836) and other protagonists of our Constitution was the control of what they called factions. Madison defined a 'faction' as "a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community."
Madison understood that we would always have factions and that the only relief would be the controlling of its effects. Madison argued that a Republic would be more successful in controlling factions than a pure Democracy because a Republic would, “…refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations.”
Moreover, Madison was correct in claiming that we would always have factions and we can leave it to historians to argue how well our country has responded to or controlled factions in the past. But what did work in the past to control the passions of factions is apparently not working now and …show more content…
In Federalist 10, which many scholars consider to be Madison's masterpiece, he redefined the traditional concepts of democracy and a republic. He established that by "extending the sphere" of republican government to a national scope, the nation could avoid many of the problems of such a form of government at the local level. The greater diversity of large republics minimized the evils of faction and popular passion, making it more difficult for tyrannical majorities to
Madison understood that we would always have factions and that the only relief would be the controlling of its effects. Madison argued that a Republic would be more successful in controlling factions than a pure Democracy because a Republic would, “…refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations.”
Moreover, Madison was correct in claiming that we would always have factions and we can leave it to historians to argue how well our country has responded to or controlled factions in the past. But what did work in the past to control the passions of factions is apparently not working now and …show more content…
In Federalist 10, which many scholars consider to be Madison's masterpiece, he redefined the traditional concepts of democracy and a republic. He established that by "extending the sphere" of republican government to a national scope, the nation could avoid many of the problems of such a form of government at the local level. The greater diversity of large republics minimized the evils of faction and popular passion, making it more difficult for tyrannical majorities to