According to James Madison, which arrangement best controls the effects of faction?

According to James Madison, which arrangement best controls the effects of faction?

• A. Direct Democracy.
• B. A Large Republic.
• C. Property requirements for eligibility to work.
• D. The creation of a merit-based civil service.

Answer: (B)

Madison argues that the best way to control the mischief of factions is to structure government in a way that disperses power across a large, diverse republic with elected representatives. In a big union with many states and many interests, no single faction can quickly or easily unite enough people to dominate decisions. Representatives can filter and refine the public will, and the competition among many factions forces compromise, making it harder for any one group to impose its will on the entire country. This setup also protects minority interests better, because a broad array of views must be accommodated to pass laws. Direct democracy, by contrast, tends to magnify the will of the majority on every issue, increasing the risk of tyranny by the majority and leaving minority rights less protected. Property requirements for eligibility and merit-based civil service, while they address who participates or who is qualified in different ways, do not address the structural problem of preventing any one faction from overwhelming the political system through centralized power. The large republic arrangement specifically targets that problem by spreading influence across many actors and interests, making factional dominance much more difficult.

Madison argues that the best way to control the mischief of factions is to structure government in a way that disperses power across a large, diverse republic with elected representatives. In a big union with many states and many interests, no single faction can quickly or easily unite enough people to dominate decisions. Representatives can filter and refine the public will, and the competition among many factions forces compromise, making it harder for any one group to impose its will on the entire country. This setup also protects minority interests better, because a broad array of views must be accommodated to pass laws.

Direct democracy, by contrast, tends to magnify the will of the majority on every issue, increasing the risk of tyranny by the majority and leaving minority rights less protected. Property requirements for eligibility and merit-based civil service, while they address who participates or who is qualified in different ways, do not address the structural problem of preventing any one faction from overwhelming the political system through centralized power. The large republic arrangement specifically targets that problem by spreading influence across many actors and interests, making factional dominance much more difficult.