Exhibit 1220 ยท Political essay
The Federalist No. 10, The Same Subject Continued (The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection)
By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.
Madison defines faction by common impulse of passion or interest adverse to other citizens or the community. He says the latent causes of faction are sown in the nature of man and that the most common source is the unequal distribution of property. He argues no man should be judge in his own cause.
- Source
- James Madison (as 'Publius')
- Date
- 22 November 1787
- Quoted from
- Federalist No. 10, paragraph beginning 'By a faction' (Gutenberg ebook 1404 plain text)
- Grade
- Primary record
- Document
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1404
- Accessed
- 2026-11-10
- Cited by
- Findings citing this exhibit
- Note
- Also read in the same essay: 'No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity.' and 'But the most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property.'