Federalist #10

The general population is concerned that decisions are being made by a majority of people whose interest is not necessarily in maintaining the public welfare of the people. A “factious spirit” has entered into the government system causing a rise in unstable actions and policies.

The problem amounts to this: if we remove the causes of faction, liberty and diversity, the general structure of the nation breaks down. Everything accomplished by the nation up until this point will mean nothing if the concepts of liberty and diversity are removed from the government formula. The thing to do now is to control the effects of faction.

It is in the nature of man to split off into sects of different interests, religions, and political ideals and, in turn, display hostility toward another group that may not uphold the same values. That being said, no one person or group is individually blameworthy for factious behaviors in politics.
In government, the most populated faction is usually the one that comes out on top in a general vote on the issues. There has to be a certain balance between the different governing bodies; a system that upholds not just one faction’s ideals, but all the others also. The system of majority rules may work to secure the feeling of unification and public good, but it cannot always maintain private rights within a population. What, then, happens to the minority’s opinion if majority wins in regular election? The system is broken if the opinions of the average citizen are simply ignored in favor of a more powerful opposing force.

There is a problem with representative government in that elected officials, if the mood strikes them, may choose to betray the trust of the people who voted for them in the first place and implement certain plans of action that may only serve for individual benefit and public detriment. In order to prevent that, it must be ensured that the number of representatives from a given area must be increased. That way, the issues of the people are brought to the forefront, but individual selfishness is no longer prominent. The Constitution provides the notion that delegates on a national level but also on a local level should be appointed. There must be a local voice on a federal stage to ensure that public good is being maintained while not ignoring the point of view from an individual citizen.