Madison’s Argument in His Federalist No. 10 Essay

James Madison made one of the most powerful contributions to the Constitution with his essay the Federalist No. 10, which was one of many. The extensive essay provides a compelling argument for the Constitution. By thoroughly explaining that the Constitution will "break. And control the violence of the faction," and Madison goes on to define factions. Explain their effects and causes, and how the establishment of the Constitution can avoid the damages of the faction (Madison, 1787). This paper will be analyzing Madison's argument in his Federalist No. 10 essay to show that Madison felt that there was a crisis. At hand due to the existence of factions which could be eliminated through an effective Constitution.

Madison defines factions within his essay: "By a faction, I understand a number of citizens. Whether amounting a majority or a 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 interest of the community." (Madison, 1787) According to him, factions are unions of people who have common political and economic fascinations which they by all means defend from those who also group together due to their political and economic ideas, but in the opposing fashion. However, "instability, injustice, and confusion" are born out of the violence those two opposing parties have, and it deeply effects the general public.

Madison states there are only two ways to get rid of factions which consists of either removing the causes of the faction or by taking control of the effects of the faction. The cause of the faction is primarily liberty, "the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior or, political views" ("Definition of LIBERTY", 2018). As Madison himself emphasizes, removing liberty will be a cure that is worse than the disease of factions; liberty cannot be stripped away from a nation because doing so will take the liberty away of each citizen as well and lead to a weakened society. Madison further emphasizes his point through impressive analogies and metaphors, for example, comparing the liberty to faction as air is to fire.

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Instead of making the horrible mistake of removing liberty from factions, and thus from society, the effects of factions can try to be controlled. Madison provides a way for this by pointing out it is not the minority group factions that need to be worried about, but rather the majority group factions. The only way he sees to control these majority groups is by averting the existence of common political and economic interests, and overburdening the majority group so that it is difficult for them to plan tyrannical plots. However, Madison makes the critical distinction that it's not a democracy that can address the problems created by factions, but rather a republic. This is because although factions will still exist in republics, because of the structure of a republic, the factions will be many in number, but weak in power. On the other hand, in a democracy a thoroughly developed faction can easily take over and attempt to seize control.

As can be seen, the Federalist 10 provides a great argument as to what factions are, why they negatively effect society, politics and economy, what their causes and effects are, how they can be eliminated, and what the favorable and wiser method of elimination of the dangers posed by factions. This paper, through Madison's argument, went to prove that the Constitution and a republic are necessary for the factions to weaken in strength and for the society to stop being harmed due to factions.

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