To the People of the State of New York:

In the latter half of Federalist No. 10, James Madison argues that republics, or representative forms of government, are better safeguards against the ills of factions than pure democracies. Some theorists, he notes, have suggested that democracies, by making everyone equal, ensure that people become equal in their “possessions, opinions, and passions.” But from the French Revolution to the Soviet Union, every purported attempt at achieving this type of equality ends in terror and disaster, necessarily involving the deprivation of liberty.

A republic, on the other hand, does not pretend to achieve a perfect equality of results. Acknowledging that mob rule does not always follow reason, Madison argues in favor of the citizens electing a body of representatives who would serve to “refine and enlarge the public views.” A balance must be sought avoiding both too small of an electorate, to prevent representatives from being controlled by any faction, and too large of an electorate where the representatives are disconnected from the people.

Madison asserts in No. 10 that the Constitution, with its balance between the federal and state governments, can help prevent any one faction or party from remaking the entire nation or implementing a faddish policy.

Of course, Madison never argues that a republic is an absolute guarantee against factions, but that it is the best protection that could be devised without destroying liberty.

Defining the Terms: The word democracy comes from the Greek meaning rule or power (kratos) of the people (demos). The term republic comes from the Latin res publica, meaning public affairs or commonwealth. It has come to mean a form of government lacking a monarchy but containing elements of various types of government, rather than being strictly democratic, aristocratic, or monarchic.

The Courier is reprinting excerpts from the 85 Federalist papers composed under the pseudonym Publius by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. Most of these papers, written to promote the ratification of the Constitution, were originally published in New York newspapers.