Why the US government works

There are . . . 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. It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy that it was worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires…

The second expedient is as impracticable as the first would be unwise. As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it,different opinions will be formed. . . .

This passage exemplifies how the American government is able to function through the controlled allowance of faction. Madison demonstrates that the protection of liberty and reason within American society is more important than the discontinuation of faction. Madison recognizes that the government could cut off dissent by removing its lifeline of liberty, but then goes to explain the folly of such a move. This cherishing of liberty in shown in the Declaration of Rights, particularly the First Amendment, in which rights to petition, religion, assembly, speech and press are protected. His other alternative to ridding society of faction is giving all men the same interests. However, this idea is also immediately discarded at the recognition that different opinions will be formed simply due to reason. The American government succeeds because it was founded by the idea that freedom triumphs one-mindedness in government. 

In the first place, it is to be remarked that, however small the republic maybe, the representatives must be raised to a certain number, in order to guard against the cabals of a few; and that, however large it may be, they must be limited to a certain number, in order to guard against the confusion of a multitude. 

Madison outlines how the American form of government succeeds through the republican system. He calls for enough representatives to be elected “in order to guard from the cabals of a few,” meaning the legislature must have enough members in order to prevent manipulation by the executive branch. He also stresses the importance of limiting the representative count as to prevent “the confusion of a multitude,” where the legislation would become so massive that no order or productivity could be established. He calls for the balance of representatives that exists today, in which presidential power is checked by a strong legislature, but the legislature is organized into two distinct houses that function in a collaborative nature for the protection of order.

In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments.

This demonstrates the concept of separation of powers in American government. The three-branch system was devised to prevent any misuse of power in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch. In the American system, all the branches check the power of one another. The people submit to the administration of a single government in the recognition that the government will remain just through this system. Madison refers to the departments of government as “separate and distinct” to demonstrate that each branch holds its unique function and must not infringe on the duties of the other branches. Our government succeeds through the separation of powers outlined in this passage. 

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. 

In this passage, Madison demonstrates how the power has been distributed within the three-branch system. Each branch is given the "necessary constitutional means...to resist encroachments of the others." This means that each section of government is granted enough power as to not feel threatened or arrogant in relation to the others. This prevents any one branch from feeling as if it is necessary to  win influence in another branch, or, in contrast, assume the duties of another department. The checks and balances system allows for the just operation of our government.