Federalist No. 10

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A strong government must be able to break and control the violence caused by factions. These unstable groups are the primary reason why popular governments often fail.

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Despite our progress, citizens still complain that the government is too unstable. They feel that the public good is often ignored in the heat of a conflict between rival parties.

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A faction is a group of people, whether a majority or minority, united by a common passion or interest. Their goals usually go against the rights of other citizens or the permanent interests of the community.

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There are only two ways to remove the causes of factions. You can either take away the liberty that allows them to exist, or give every citizen the exact same opinions and interests.

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Destroying liberty to stop factions is a terrible idea because liberty is essential to political life. It would be like getting rid of air just because air allows fire to burn.

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Giving everyone the same opinions is impossible as long as people can think for themselves. As long as human reason remains fallible and property is distributed unevenly, different viewpoints will exist.

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The most common source of factionalism is the unequal distribution of property. Those who have property and those who don't have always formed distinct, conflicting interests in society.

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Modern legislation is mostly focused on balancing these conflicting interests. Every major law effectively acts as a judicial decision where different "parties" are the judges of their own causes.

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We cannot build a system that depends on leaders always being wise and virtuous — history shows this is too unreliable a foundation.

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Since we cannot remove the causes of factions without destroying freedom, we must focus on controlling their effects. This is the only practical way to save the government.

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If a faction is a minority, it can be defeated by a simple vote in a democracy. While it might slow down government, it won't be able to legally oppress others.

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The real danger occurs when a faction becomes a majority. In this case, the government must find a way to prevent the majority from using their power to trample on the rights of others.

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A "pure democracy," where everyone votes on everything, cannot stop the mischief of factions. A common passion will eventually unite a majority to oppress the minority.

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A Republic, which uses a representative government, offers a cure. It allows the government to be managed by a small number of citizens elected by the rest.

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A Republic differs from a democracy because it delegates government to a few people and can cover a larger territory. These two differences change everything.

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Representative government refines public views by passing them through a chosen body of citizens. These leaders are intended to seek the true interest of their country rather than temporary passions — though Madison acknowledged this was an aspiration rather than a guarantee.

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In a large Republic, you have more potential leaders to choose from. This makes it more likely that the people will elect men of high character rather than corrupt politicians.

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Large Republics make it harder for unworthy candidates to win through trickery. With more voters, a candidate must have a more established and virtuous reputation to succeed.

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The Constitution creates a "happy combination" by letting the national government handle big, national issues. Meanwhile, local legislatures handle smaller, local interests.

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A large Republic makes it much harder for a corrupt majority to form and act. The sheer variety of parties and interests makes it difficult for any one group to coordinate an oppressive plan.

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Just as a sect might dominate one state but not the whole nation, a faction might poison one region but not the entire Union. The size of the United States acts as a natural shield against political disease.

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Therefore, a large Republic provides a "republican remedy" for the problems most common to republican governments. The very size and structure of the Union will protect our liberty.