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Federalist No. 10 is an essay written by James Madison as the tenth of The Federalist Papers, a series of essays initiated by Alexander Hamilton arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution. It is among the most highly regarded of all American political writings. No. 10 addresses how to reconcile citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or inimical to the interests of the community as a whole. Madison saw factions as inevitable due to the nature of man and believed that the large size of the country would make it difficult for factions to gain control over others. Federalist No. 10 is an important document for understanding the Constitution and continues to be cited by scholars and jurists as an authoritative interpretation of the Constitution's meaning.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Author | James Madison |
| Publication Date | November 22, 1787 |
| Publication | The Daily Advertiser (New York) |
| Pseudonym | Publius |
| Type | Essay |
| Part of | The Federalist Papers |
| Content | Defence of the form of republican government proposed by the Constitution |
| Content | Exploration of majority rule vs. minority rights |
| Content | Discussion of factions and their impact on government |
| Content | Argument for a representative democracy |
| Content | Criticism of direct democracy and factionalism |
| Content | Importance of a "happy combination" of a republic and a purer democracy |
| Content | Addressing citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others |
| Influence | Regarded as a seminal work of American political philosophy |
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What You'll Learn
- Federalist No. 10 is an essay written by James Madison
- It is part of The Federalist Papers, a series of essays initiated by Alexander Hamilton
- It argues for the ratification of the United States Constitution
- Madison explores majority rule vs. minority rights
- Madison saw factions as inevitable due to the nature of man
Federalist No. 10 is an essay written by James Madison
In Federalist No. 10, Madison defended the form of republican government proposed by the Constitution. Critics of the Constitution argued that the proposed federal government was too large and would be unresponsive to the people. Madison countered that the large size of the country and the great number of factions and diversity would, in fact, prevent tyranny. He believed that the variety of sects dispersed across the country would secure the national councils against any danger from religious sects degenerating into political factions. Madison saw factions as inevitable due to the nature of man—as long as people hold differing opinions, have differing amounts of wealth, and own differing amounts of property, they will continue to form alliances with similar people and sometimes work against the public interest.
Madison explored majority rule versus minority rights in this essay. He argued that the large size of the country would make it difficult for factions to gain control over others. Groups would be forced to negotiate and compromise among themselves, arriving at solutions that would respect the rights of minorities. Madison's nationalist position shifted the debate away from a position of pure state sovereignty and toward a compromise. He believed that the federal Constitution provided for a "happy combination" of a republic and a purer democracy, with "the great and aggregate interests being referred to the national, the local and particular to the State legislatures".
Today, Federalist No. 10 is regarded as a seminal work of American political philosophy and is among the most highly regarded of all American political writings. It is cited by scholars and jurists as an authoritative interpretation and explication of the meaning of the Constitution.
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It is part of The Federalist Papers, a series of essays initiated by Alexander Hamilton
Federalist No. 10 is an essay written by James Madison as the tenth of The Federalist Papers. It was first published in The Daily Advertiser (New York) on November 22, 1787, under the name "Publius". The Federalist Papers were a series of essays initiated by Alexander Hamilton arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution.
Federalist No. 10 is among the most highly regarded of all American political writings. No. 10 addresses how to reconcile citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or inimical to the interests of the community as a whole. Madison saw factions as inevitable due to the nature of man—that is, as long as people hold differing opinions, have differing amounts of wealth, and own differing amounts of property, they will continue to form alliances with people who are most similar to them. He also believed that people would sometimes work against the public interest and infringe upon the rights of others.
In response, Madison explored majority rule vs. minority rights in this essay. He countered that it was exactly the great number of factions and diversity that would avoid tyranny. Groups would be forced to negotiate and compromise among themselves, arriving at solutions that would respect the rights of minorities. Further, he argued that the large size of the country would actually make it more difficult for factions to gain control over others. Madison saw the federal Constitution as providing for a happy combination of a republic and a purer democracy, with "the great and aggregate interests being referred to the national, the local and particular to the State legislatures" resulting in a decentralized governmental structure.
Federalist No. 10 is a seminal work of American political philosophy. In "The People's Vote", a popular survey conducted by the National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, and U.S. News & World Report, No. 10 (along with Federalist No. 51, also by Madison) was chosen as the 20th most influential document in United States history.
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It argues for the ratification of the United States Constitution
Federalist No. 10 is an essay written by James Madison as the tenth of The Federalist Papers, a series of essays initiated by Alexander Hamilton arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution. It was first published in The Daily Advertiser (New York) on November 22, 1787, under the name "Publius".
Federalist No. 10 is among the most highly regarded of all American political writings. No. 10 addresses how to reconcile citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or inimical to the interests of the community as a whole. Madison saw factions as inevitable due to the nature of man—that is, as long as people hold differing opinions, have differing amounts of wealth and own differing amounts of property, they will continue to form alliances with people who are most similar to them and they will sometimes work against the public interest and infringe upon the rights of others.
In Federalist No. 10, Madison explored majority rule vs. minority rights. He countered that it was exactly the great number of factions and diversity that would avoid tyranny. Groups would be forced to negotiate and compromise among themselves, arriving at solutions that would respect the rights of minorities. Further, he argued that the large size of the country would actually make it more difficult for factions to gain control over others. Madison saw the federal Constitution as providing for a "happy combination" of a republic and a purer democracy, with "the great and aggregate interests being referred to the national, the local and particular to the State legislatures" resulting in a decentralized governmental structure.
In the first century of the American republic, No. 10 was not regarded as among the more important numbers of The Federalist. Today, however, No. 10 is regarded as a seminal work of American political philosophy. In "The People's Vote", a popular survey conducted by the National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, and U.S. News & World Report, No. 10 (along with Federalist No. 51, also by Madison) was chosen as the 20th most influential document in United States history.
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Madison explores majority rule vs. minority rights
Federalist No. 10, written by James Madison, is a part of the Federalist Papers, which were a series of essays that defended the form of republican government proposed by the Constitution. Madison's essay explored the tension between majority rule and minority rights, responding to critics who argued that the proposed federal government was too large and would be unresponsive to the people.
In Federalist No. 10, Madison countered that the large size of the country and the diversity of its factions would actually prevent tyranny and protect minority rights. He argued that with many factions, no single group could gain control over others. The country's extent and structure would thus provide a "republican remedy" for the challenges faced by republican governments. Madison believed that the various factions would be forced to negotiate and compromise, leading to solutions that respected the rights of minorities.
Madison defined a faction as:
> "...a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community."
He acknowledged the dangers of factions, noting that they could introduce instability, injustice, and confusion into public councils, ultimately leading to the downfall of popular governments. However, he also recognized the value of improvements made by the American constitutions, which aimed to balance the interests of both the majority and the minority.
In conclusion, Madison's exploration of majority rule versus minority rights in Federalist No. 10 highlights his belief in the resilience of a large, diverse republic. He argued that the very factors criticized by some could actually safeguard against tyranny and protect the rights of all citizens. Federalist No. 10 played a significant role in shaping the early American republic and continues to be an important text in understanding the debates surrounding the ratification of the United States Constitution.
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Madison saw factions as inevitable due to the nature of man
Federalist No. 10, written by James Madison, is a part of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays that debated the ratification of the United States Constitution. In Federalist No. 10, Madison explores the concept of factions and their impact on governance, arguing that they are an inevitable aspect of human nature.
Madison recognised the "latent causes of faction" inherent in the nature of man, acknowledging that factions were inevitable. He believed that rather than attempting to prevent them, the focus should be on controlling their effects. Madison's argument centred on the idea that a large and diverse republic, as outlined in the Constitution, could serve as a "cure" to the challenges posed by factions. He favoured a representative democracy, where citizens elect representatives to vote for laws, over a pure democracy, where every citizen votes directly for laws.
Madison's defence of the Constitution's proposed form of government addressed the criticism that a large federal government would be unresponsive to the people. He countered that the very size and diversity of the country would make it challenging for factions to gain control. In his view, the variety of factions and the need for negotiation and compromise among them would protect minority rights and prevent tyranny. Madison also believed that the federal structure of government, with its division of powers between national and state legislatures, provided a "happy combination" of a republic and a purer democracy.
The writer of Federalist No. 10 saw the diversity of the Union as a "republican remedy" for the issues most commonly faced by republican governments. He argued for a balance—a republic diverse enough to prevent any single faction from dominating while maintaining sufficient commonality to ensure cohesion among the states. Madison recognised the limitations of large constituencies, noting that federalism addressed this issue by ensuring that local matters were handled by state and local officials, who were naturally closer to their constituents.
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Frequently asked questions
Federalist No. 10 is an essay written by James Madison as the tenth of The Federalist Papers.
Madison's essay defended the form of republican government proposed by the Constitution. He argued that the large size of the country and the diversity of its people would make it difficult for factions to gain control, thus preventing tyranny.
Federalist No. 10 was written during the debate over the ratification of the United States Constitution. The essay was first published in 1787, at a time when critics were arguing that the proposed federal government was too large and would be unresponsive to the people.
Federalist No. 10 is considered one of the most important and influential documents in American political philosophy. It is an authoritative interpretation of the meaning of the Constitution and provides insights into the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the founding of the nation.
Madison explores the relationship between majority rule and minority rights, the dangers of factionalism, and the role of a representative democracy in preventing partisanship. He also discusses the utility of the union and the insufficiency of the existing confederation to preserve that union.
