James Madison, in Federalist No. 10 defines a faction as "A number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority 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 interests of the community." After reading Federalist No. 10, I realized that there are different types of what Madison refers to as a faction. To me, factions can be both harmful and proactive in a government system. For example, a beneficial faction would be a peaceful, political group that works towards a cause in a polite, and professional way. A harmful faction could also be a group that protests, riots, and endangers Americans. I think that, although vastly different, the Tea Party, and Al Qaeda can be examples of factions that exist today.
Questions:
- What are some modern factions in America?
- How are factions formed?
- Are factions generally harmful?
- Is there a way to prevent factions?
- Are the political parties technically considered factions?
Today, factions are evident throughout our daily lives. Many Americans are part of factions. For example, if one is registered with a political party, they are part of a faction. Also, if one works in a union, that is also considered a faction. Factions help unite Americans but at the same time, can turn many Americans against each other due to the varying views of each faction.
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