The Federalist papers were essays written by the most intelligent political minds at the end of the 18th Century in order to influence the ratifying of the Constitution. Some of the ideas included in the federalist papers outlined the importance of checks and balances, and how representation should be decided between states. One other crucial idea regarding the organization of American Government is found in The Federalist Paper Number 10 written by James Madison. In this essay, he discusses a topic which is still around in America today, factions. By defining, discussing, and ultimately offering suggestions to deal with factions, Madison gives keen insight into both the positives and negatives of factions. James Madison’s understanding …show more content…
By assessing the political landscape, he would clearly see the impact of factions found in interest groups and their vast role in American Government. There are thousands of interest groups in America, and they all employ different methods of affecting public policy. Whether their interests are economic, social, or environmental, all interest groups have specific goals and take different steps to enact their goals. From The National Rifle Association, To The American Federation of Teachers, to Greenpeace, interest groups “divide mankind into parties” which are sometimes “inflamed with mutual animosity,” just as Madison noticed in his time and predicted for the future (The Federalist No. 10 p553L). These examples of very different interest groups show how varied their interests can be and how there are so many different groups vying for …show more content…
There are more than enough groups with conflicting interest to ensure that no one party is in the majority. The issue arises in the influence that certain factions are able to have in the political sphere. Madison did not live in an era in which money was such a large part of government though the impact of political action committees (PACs). In today’s society, whichever interest group has the most money can support candidates who will pass favorable legislation. This use of PACs and money in campaigns undermines Madison’s ideas about limiting the effects of faction, and therefore a new solution needs to be found in order to ensure fairness and proper distribution of power among interest groups in present day