USA

James Madison

James Madison on The Federalist Papers, No 10

Faction

James Madison “Reconciling differences over government action is a fundamental challenge of politics. James Madison, who played a leading role in drafting the Constitution and to whom this book will repeatedly turn for guidance, offered one of the most memorable and enlightening discussions on this subject in The Federalist No. 10. Defending the new Constitution to delegates at state ratifying conventions who were deciding whether to approve it, he explained that the new government must represent and reconcile many different preferences in society that are ‘sown in the nature of man’:

A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other points… [has] divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to co-operate for their common good. 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…”