The Federalist No. 10

by Allison Jones

 

This letter was published 22 November 1787 and in it James Madison discusses why a democratic republic is better than a straight democracy.

“Among the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction.  The friend of popular governments, never finds himself so much alarmed for their character and fate, as when he contemplates their propensity to this dangerous vice.”

Human beings do not all have the same opinions or interests; therefore there will always be groups that agree with each other and disagree with the others.  “So strong is this propensity of mankind to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions, and excite their most violent conflicts.”  Conflict is part of human nature.  This cannot be avoided, but the effects of faction can be lessened.

Laws must be impartial, therefore those that make them must be removed from the issues, have no personal stakes invested in the issue considered.  We cannot expect people to be able to be impartial when personal matters, either relational or monetary, are concerned.  “It is in vain to say, that enlightened statesmen will be able to adjust these clashing interests, and render them all subservient to the public good.  Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm: Nor, in many cases, can such an adjustment be made at all, without taking into view indirect and remote considerations, which will rarely prevail over the immediate interest which one party may find in disregarding the rights of another or the good of the whole.”

A minority faction is kept in check by the fact that it is a minority; it cannot force its views on the majority.  But a majority faction is more dangerous.  As we cannot rely on people to be entirely impartial or fair, we cannot trust the majority to always keep the rights of various minority factions in mind.  Just because most people want something does not make it right.  A pure democracy with majority rule is not secure; who knows when the majority may decide that your group should be deprived of rights.

Madison promotes republic as the cure for this issue because it will “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.”  People vote for a representative who they trust to make good decisions.  Because the representative is over a certain number of citizens in an area, they are removed enough from popular passions to be impartial in most of the issues, but still close enough to know what the values and needs of their constituents are.  

A few just people can be found in the population, but we cannot expect that of everyone.  This does imply that voters are required to research their representatives to make sure they are in fact capable to doing their job well.  We must vote for those we can trust to research and consider the issues thoroughly and make fair laws.