Paul Cooney
AP American History
Mr. DeCarlo
September 26, 2006

The Federalist Papers: No. 10 (LAD 4)


1. Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?
Factions are associated with the strong beliefs that are deeply rooted in the people belonging to the faction. The "mischief of factions" as James Madison points out, is responsible for the destruction of democracy according to him. The way to eliminate a faction would be to eliminate liberty, because “Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires.” Without liberty there would not be faction, but at the same time the absence of liberty would result in the absence of democracy, thus arriving back at the starting point. There will always be these factions attacking democracy. Madison heavily favored a republic, which has now evolved into what we know it as today, a representative democracy.

2. If factions cannot be removed then how can they be controlled?
If the republican principle is acted upon, the beliefs of a faction will not arise and take power unless it is the majority. This is the case because of regular vote, which will keep such a faction the minority. For the meantime, as the minority, it will just create a bothersome element in running the government. When, for some reason, the faction is the majority, the form of popular government “enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” To further control a faction, the common passion or interest must be prevented form reaching the majority, or the majority itself must be rendered unable to carry out its means of oppression.