1. How would you go about controlling the effects of factions?
2. How do you know that the two methods stated will truly cure the "mischief's of faction?"
3. If every citizen had the same opinions, passions, and interests, wouldn't it take away our individuality?
4. Are many different opinions bad, or does it help us in the long run?
5. How would government differ if there were no minority or majority? If there was an equal amount of each party?
"There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests." - I felt that if every citizen has the same opinions, passions, and interests than it would take away our individuality or our own beliefs towards this.
"The public good is disregarded in the conflicts of the rival parties." - It seems that parties only care to fight with one another, rather than take the public's good into mind.
"There are two methods of curing the mischief's of faction: the one by removing its causes, the other, by controlling its effects." - Although Madison says there are only two ways to remove factions, I wonder if there are other ways that we just cant think of?
"It is in vain to say that enlightened statesmen will be able to adjust these clashing interests, and render them all subservient to the public good." - This quote is saying that if one is elected to a state position, he has the ability to make changes but only for the public good.
"The inference to which we are brought is, that the causes of faction cannot be removed, and that relief is only to be sought in the means of controlling its effects." - I was just curious as to if we control the effects of factions properly, can it in turn lead to the removal of the causes?
Aaron I agree with your 3rd question. In the federalist no 10 Madison says one of the solutions to get rid of factions is if every had the same ideas, opinions, and logic. I found this unappealing, because if everyone was the same there would be no diversity like there is today. It would be boring if no one had different ideas. We wouldn't be able to advance as a nation. The Great compromise was only succesful because of different ideas.
ReplyDeleteAaron about your 4th question...many different opinions are good to a certain extent. The world is full of diversity and everyone will always have different opinions. It starts be a problem when no one agrees with anyone. Opinions help to shape the world. Without them everything would be so dull and nothing would ever form of the world and politics. I would say yes, they do play a major role in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI think that if there wasn't any minority or majority in the country then their wouldn't be any competition. I think that would be a bad thing, because with different parties today there is always competition with what party has the better ideas, and who can run the country better.
ReplyDelete