PSCI 3310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Federalist No. 51, Federalist No. 10
30 Dec 2017
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A well constructed union to break the violence of faction. Democratic governments are unstable and public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties". A number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of reason, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens ". Two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: Faction cannot be removed so its effects must be controlled to secure the public good. Hence we move to design in a division of power to pit faction against faction. To preserve liberty, each department should have a will of its own. The departments should have as little agency as possible with one another regarding the appointment of their members. It has unique requirements and becomes independent because of the lifetime appointment of members. Each department has the constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachment of the others.
