"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed. As long as the connection subsists between his reason and his self-love, his opinions and his passions will have a reciprocal influence on each other; and the former will be objects to which the latter will attach themselves. The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government"(10).
Throughout this section, Madison executes the point that diversity and diverging opinions on social, political, and religious matters are inevitable and will create numerous divisions within a society. Thus, it is the government's duty to protect these faculties. Instead of viewing diversity in a negative light, he shows that a government can only function because it is diverse. The main purpose of the government is to ensue that its citizens are being granted their liberties which were formerly being taken away. This shows that the American form of government, a democracy will be effective because the government will have a dedication and commitment to guaranteeing all citizens their freedoms and rights.
"If a faction consists of less than a majority, relief is supplied by the republican principle, which enables the majority to defeat its sinister views by regular vote. It may clog the administration, it may convulse the society; but it will be unable to execute and mask its violence under the forms of the Constitution. When a majority is included in a faction, the form of popular government, on the other hand, enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens"(10).
This quote shows that by forming a democracy everyone will participate in the government. Through compromise, a settlement can be formed by mutual concessions of each faction. Under British rule, the colonists had no say in British actions because they had no representation. Under a democracy everyone will have a say, and together, as American people, will be able to reach an agreement that will benefit "the public good and the rights of other citizens." Therefore, the greater majority of the people will be appeased and all will be represented. Furthermore, because a democracy is comprised of the people, "sinister views" will be eradicated "by regular vote." This will prevent corruption and misrepresentation because no one regular citizen will have more of a say than another regular citizen.
"But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government"(51).
Man's corruption in society has existed since the beginning of recorded history. Thomas Hobbes argued that men are inherently evil. Human nature enables one to be corrupted and tainted. Therefore in order to protect the rights of the whole, which Madison previously stated was the purpose of the government, a system needs to be created so "ambition" can "counteract ambition."
When given authority, men tend to abuse that which they have been given, so each branch within the government: the legislative, executive, and judicial, is required to check the power of the other branches and balance out the authority, to disallow one branch from gaining too much power and inevitably abusing it. By doing so, the rights of the people will be preserved and the functionality of a democracy will be preserved as well.
"It is equally evident, that the members of each department should be as little dependent as possible on those of the others, for the emoluments annexed to their offices. Were the executive magistrate, or the judges, not independent of the legislature in this particular, their independence in every other would be merely nominal. But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others"(51).
In order for opinions to differ and be numerous throughout the three branches, "the members of each department should be as little dependent as possible on those of the others." To ensure that all citizens are being represented there needs to be various diverging viewpoints throughout the government. Not only will this guarantee that the best possible law, bill, or action is being passed, but it will also allow all factions to be accounted for. The purpose of creating three distinct branches is so there will be at least three different possible decisions, otherwise the branches "would be merely nominal." Therefore a democracy, and America, can only function if each branch properly executes its role and purpose independently.
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