Heimler's AP Gov Federalist No. 10
AP Gov – Federalist No. 10 (Heimler’s History)
Background
Written by James Madison, part of the Federalist Papers (with Hamilton and Jay).
Purpose: Convince Americans to ratify the Constitution during ratification debates.
Main Question: How will the Constitution protect liberty against the tyranny of the majority?
Key Concept: Factions
Definition: A group of citizens (majority or minority) united by passion or interest adverse to the rights of others or the common good.
Madison saw factions as dangerous → called their actions the “violence of faction.”
Madison’s Two Possible Solutions
Remove causes of faction (bad idea):
Would destroy liberty: “Liberty is to faction what air is to fire.”
Would require uniformity of opinion (impossible, since people are naturally diverse).
Removing liberty is worse than factions themselves.
Control the effects of faction (best solution):
Achieved through a republican form of government (representation).
Why a Republic Works Better Than Pure Democracy
Pure democracy = majority always dominates, no protection for minority interests.
Republic = representation and larger scale reduces faction power.
Madison’s Argument:
Large republic = more citizens, more factions.
Results:
Dilution of power – No single faction can dominate.
Competition & compromise – Factions must negotiate and consider the common good.
Local factional issues may exist but won’t spread nationwide.
Conclusion
Federalist 10 defends the Constitution by arguing:
A large, diverse republic will control the effects of factions.
Representation protects against tyranny of the majority.
Multiple competing interests = stability and protection of liberty.
Key Takeaways
Factions = inevitable, but their effects can be controlled.
Republic > pure democracy.
Large republic = diversity of factions = compromise, less chance of tyranny.