Is Federalist 10 Still Valid? 9-19-2010, Part One

 Changing my tack a bit from myself to something that bothers my mind. I cannot recall the writer who pointed out the radical importance of James Madison's Federalist 10, only recalling it drew attention to No. 10 as innovative and essential to our governmental success. Madison argues geographical distance will palliate the great enemy of democratic republics, factionalism.

I suppose some will wonder how this will fit into my other writings. There are others like this in my notes; just not as long. What I write about is what interests me, and what interests me I write about. I feel obligations to the wider world are met by shooting off my mouth. To remain silent, to not add to the public good, is what I did before I found myself still alive. Atonement requires saying what I think is important. This piece should be important to all Americans.

I will argue that modern communications and campaign finance and the United States Constitution's Commerce Clause and the Senate's filibuster combine to render Federalist 10 as having failed in its warnings. We now have a federal system riven by the same factionalism feared by Madison. In My view, the rise of the Tea Party is not a cause of factionalism, but its symptom. I offer a few solutions that I have previously written about, after I dissect Federalist 10. 

I am working with the Mentor edition of The Federalist Papers. I have no idea why the Volunteers of America paperback collection has a copy. I should be glad for it prodding me into this bit of writing.

sch 

[Is Federalist 10 Still Valid? 9-19-2010, Part Two. Wikipedia's Federalist No. 10 has a section, Modern analysis and reaction, which reminded me that the writer I could not recall was Douglass Adair. sch 7/16/2023.]