1. What concept that we have already discussed does “faction” remind you of?

The concept of “faction” in “Federalist #10” reminds me of the idea of social conflict or class struggle that we’ve discussed previously. Just as factions represent groups with specific interests that may conflict with those of others, social classes can also be seen as groups with distinct economic interests that can sometimes be in opposition to each other.

2.According to Federalist #10 (written by James Madison), what is the source of wealth (private property)? What factor explains why some people get to possess wealth by owning private property, and others don’t (thus remaining poor)? This is a key question, because it shows how the authors of the Constitution thought about the difference between different classes of Americans! HINT: focus on the passage that begins: “The diversity in the faculties (WHAT DOES FACULTIES mean or refer to?) of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not les….”

In Federalist #10, James Madison discusses the source of wealth, which he attributes to the diversity in the faculties of men. Here, “faculties” refers to the various abilities, talents, and skills possessed by individuals. Madison suggests that the unequal distribution of these faculties leads to differences in the acquisition of property, with some individuals able to accumulate wealth through their talents and efforts, while others remain impoverished due to their lack of such advantages.

3.Do you agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty?

Whether one agrees with Madison’s explanation of wealth and poverty depends on their perspective. While Madison’s argument acknowledges individual agency and merit as factors in wealth accumulation, it overlooks systemic barriers and inequalities that can hinder certain groups’ access to property and economic opportunities. Factors such as historical injustices, discrimination, and socioeconomic disparities also play significant roles in shaping patterns of wealth and poverty.Factors such as historical injustices, discrimination, and socioeconomic disparities also play significant roles in shaping patterns of wealth and poverty. Personally, I disagree with Madison’s explanation as it fails to adequately address the structural and systemic factors that contribute to wealth inequality, thereby oversimplifying the complexities of socioeconomic dynamics.

4.What is the core mission (“first object”) of the US government? Does this surprise you, does it sound different from what our society today seems to suggest the core mission of the government is? Explain.

The core mission, or “first object,” of the US government according to Federalist #10 is to protect the rights of individuals and their property from the encroachments of factions. This mission prioritizes safeguarding the stability and prosperity of property-owning individuals, reflecting the concerns and interests of the American capitalist class at the time. This focus may sound different from contemporary perspectives that emphasize broader social welfare and equality, indicating a shift in societal priorities over time.

5.Given the discussion in questions 1-4, are you surprised that Federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy, and supports a Republican (representative) form of government? Why would d the author dislike a (pure) democratic form of government? Hint: think about how this question connects with the social classes…

It’s not surprising that Federalist #10 is not in favor of pure democracy and supports a republican form of government, considering the author’s concerns about the tyranny of factions. Madison, as a representative of the elite class, would likely fear the potential for majority rule to threaten the interests of property owners and undermine the stability of society. By advocating for a republic, Madison seeks to establish a system of governance that balances popular representation with safeguards against the unchecked power of the masses, thereby protecting the interests of the economic elite.

1. Faction reminds me of the civil rights movement because of individuals coming together and who share a common goal and plan to execute a plan together to achieve that goal.

2. Based on Federalist No. 10, the source of wealth is dependent on a man’s intelligence and skill. As we know and see there are some people who are born into wealth, meaning their families are wealthy and their wealth is passed down to them and they have people/entities that manage their money to help continue to grow their wealth and that wealth will then be passed down from generation to generation. On the other hand, you have people who are not born into wealth and they continue the same cycle as their parents and the only way to break it is to do different and start your family off on a path to wealth. Unfortunately, this is a hard cycle to break but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

3. I do not agree with this explanation because I don’t believe how smart you are is what determines whether or not you are poor or rich. There are plenty of people who are wealthy, but aren’t intelligent and there are plenty of people who are not wealthy, but are extremely intelligent.

4. The core mission of the US government was to protect the faculties, who are the citizens who had acquired wealth. This doesn’t surprise me because this is something that our government continues to put first. If I think about how citizens are taxed every year and compare it to what their income is, its actually insane, We live in a world where the rich will continue to get richer off of the backs of the working class.

5. No, I am not surprised that the writer of Federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy because that would mean a shift or change in the social order. Having a democracy would give minorities and those who weren’t in the wealthy circles a little more power and they would vote for things that suited their lives, which meant this would have power away from the upper class and what they wanted or believed in.

1. Factions reminds me of when we spoke about mass incarceration in the first module.
2. I think he means like some men use their smarts and intelligence to obtain their wealth and private properties while others hold themselves back by not using their knowledge to obtain private properties.
3. I mean I do, I think a lot of people don’t use the knowledge that they have to gain wealth and they just do the minimum thinking it will get them to where they want to be. While the wealthy i would say do find ways to make sure they always stay wealthy and invest in themselves.
4. The core mission is to protect the faculties. It doesn’t surprise me because although we may think the core mission is the people and to help them, we all know that’s not always the case. They are always going to protect themselves and their wealth.
5. Yes I was a little surprised that the Federalist 10 against the pure democracy because you would think they would want something that will protect them.

1. “Faction” reminds me of a group of people fighting within each other.
2. According to Federalist #10, the source of wealth is one’s skill or time. Some people get to possess wealth by owning private property because they already have generational wealth to help invest them into their business. The ‘others’ remain poor because they either remain wanting to live within their means and maintain a simple life. Another big reason would be not having the money, resources, and opportunity to even make that sort of money. Thus continuing the cycle of the working class, making the rich richer. 
3. I do and do not agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty. While I do agree, the basic formula of someone’s wealth is someone’s great skill and time put into something. However, I think the opportunity to be given a chance is very limited to those who already have wealth. Therefore, not making is accessible to just anybody with incredible skills. 
4.  The core mission of the US government is to protect people’s rights and property. This does not really surprise me. The government today is also very big on protecting people and their property but does not do much to back it up. I can also see that being true back then. I believe this only really applies to who the government deems important, which is the wealthy people. 
5. I am not surprised that Federalist #20 is not in favor of democracy. This would only allow everybody to have some sort of influence and power which the government did not want. This connects to social classes as it is used to keep it all in place. Keeping the working folks working for the rich, which has little to no say or power. 

1. The concept of faction reminds me of when we went over the concept of “ideology.” 

2. I believe that James Madison pointed out the fact that some people rely on their beliefs when it comes to getting private property or not . That means that some people hold themselves from acquiring private property because they don’t have the same opportunity as others to try to get private property. When he uses the word “faculties” I think that he is referring to the different ways of how people’s think, their beliefs and their point of view. 

3. I agree. I think that this explanation actually describes why the rich are getting richer by benefiting from the working class’s effort. I do believe that of course, wealthy people are more likely to have a more open mindset in business, why is why they are not afraid of investing their money and keep getting profit out of that. 

4. The core mission of the US government is to protect the faculties discussed in the article by James Madison. It surprised me because I thought that the core mission of the government was related to citizen;s safety or something like that, but apparently that is not the case lol.

5. No, I’m not surprised. That doesn’t surprise me because it is not a secret that a democratic government doesn’t benefit private property. When I say private property I’m not only talking about the upper class, I’m also referring to company’s owners, or people that own little businesses but that still have their own employees. I also believe that a republic form of government is the one that maintains the social class structure that we all live in the United States today. A system where the benefits are just a few ones who are the same ones who basically own almost the whole nation’s fortune.

1. The source of wealth according to Federalist # 10 is superior intelligence. The factors that explain why some people get to posses wealth by owning private property, and other don’t is determined by race, what social class you’re born into, whether or not your educated and intelligent.
2. No, I do not agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty because I don’t agree that just because your poor you aren’t intelligent and because you’re rich you are.
3. The core mission of the US government was to protect the people that were acquiring wealth from the people it might affect. “The protection of these faculties is the first objective of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different and parties.” This does not surprise me because we are still experiencing this in today’s society, the wealthy are still far more favored and protected than the lower working-class people. Alot of the laws we still have today yes, they make working conditions better, and we have a more workers rights but it’s still a very unfair system and the rich are still underpaying their workers.
4. No, I am not surprised that Federalist # 10 is not in favor of democracy and supports a Republican form of government. The author dislikes a pure democratic form of government because that would give the people too much power and they didn’t want the minorities to be able to vote against things they found unfair because that would jeopardize the way they make their wealth these methods are usually unfair to the workers.

1. What concept that we have already discussed does “faction” remind you of?
   A faction, as I understand it, reminds me of the idea of political parties. Factions are described as a number of citizens who are united and act based on common feelings of passion, or interests, that are against the ideas of other groups of citizens. This seems to match with the idea of political parties, as they are groups of citizens that are bound together by their passions or interests that, in some ways, oppose the beliefs or rights of other citizens by aim of what they believe in.
2. According to Federalist #10 (written by James Madison), what is the source of wealth (private property)? What factor explains why some people get to possess wealth by owning private property, and others don’t (thus remaining poor)?
   In this case, I believe faculties means the intelligence that someone has. Therefore, James Madison is saying that the intelligence of man is where the rights of property originate, and thus is the source of wealth. According to him, highly intelligent people are the ones who are able to gain wealth and those who are less intelligent are unable to gain wealth, thus remaining poor. The intelligence of a man determines how much wealth they are able to accumulate.
3. Do you agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty?
   I do not agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty because, while having an education can increase one’s potential for gaining greater wealth, there is nothing that directly connects intelligence to the ability to own property, a successful business, or to be born into wealth. As previous readings have explained, a large amount of wealth held by a small percentage of the top 1% is generational, meaning it is passed down and grows from one generation to the next. Capitalists come from wealth and continue to build wealth due to being in a position where they can continue to grow it by controlling the means of production. Being born into or inheriting wealth does not require or guarantee higher intelligence. Additionally, there are incredibly intelligent people who do not have access to an education that will further build their intelligence due to being born into poverty, as well as those who do gain access to education but still are unable to build enough wealth to be considered “wealthy” because they were born into poverty. So I do not agree with James Madison’s explanation of wealth an poverty, as the correlation between intelligence and wealth (or poverty) is not as simple as he states.
4. What is the core mission (“first object”) of the US government? Does this surprise you, does it sound different from what our society today seems to suggest the core mission of the government is? Explain.
   According to reading 6.3, the core mission of the US government is to protect the wealth of the capitalist class. This makes sense as, the ones who wrote the Constitution and established the government were capitalists and thus wanted to protect their own interests. I feel that this, to a degree, is still true today. Taxes are a big discussion topic to this day, and the argument comes down to if we should be taxing the wealthy (both individuals and corporations) at all. Some argue that we should because it would be fair as the working class is taxed, especially the wealthy working class, while others argue that we should not in hopes that one day, they will be rich enough to benefit from not paying taxes. This overall protects the interests of the capitalist class as we continue to have these arguments while continuing to give tax breaks and cuts to the rich.
5. Given the discussion in questions 1-4, are you surprised that Federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy, and supports a Republican (representative) form of government? Why would the author dislike a (pure) democratic form of government?
   I am not surprised at all that the writer of Federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy. I believe the writer is in favor of a Republican form of government because restrictions were placed on which individuals could take political office, which in most cases amounted to someone who would be part of the capitalist class. This meant that, even if representatives were elected by the working class, they were more likely to still have capitalist interests at the forefront of their minds, as opposed to if the working class had full access to voting and selecting aspects of the government like in a democracy. A democracy would threaten everything that the capitalist class attempted to put into writing as protections in the Constitution, as the working class would fight for equality and their own interests which directly interfered with the capitalists.

1. What concept that we have already discussed does “faction” remind you of? In “Federalist #10” by James Madison, the text argues that by “faction,” he means a group of citizens who come together based on a shared interest or passion, which may be in conflict with the interests of others or the overall well-being of the community. A concept that reminds me of this is the democratic and republican parties during the early years of America. They represented distinct factions with differing views on the role of government and other issues. As stated in the reading, “It may be concluded that a pure democracy…can adopt of no cure for the mischiefs of faction” and “A republic, by which I mean a government…opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking.”
2. According to Federalist #10 (written by James Madison), what is the source of wealth (private property)? What factor explains why some people get to possess wealth by owning private property, and others don’t (thus remaining poor)? This is a key question, because it shows how the authors of the Constitution thought about the difference between different classes of Americans! HINT: focus on the passage that begins: “The diversity in the faculties (WHAT DOES FACULTIES mean or refer to?) of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not les….” According to “Federalist #10”, James Madison states, “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.” Madison acknowledged that individuals naturally form factions based on different interest or concerns, but he did not identify one class to be wealthy. Instead he identifies an unequal distribution of property due to a division in society in interests and parties, leading to some citizens remaining poor. Madison then states, “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.” and suggesting the republican party to be the cure for the “mischiefs of faction”.
3. Do you agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty? From my perspective, I disagree with the statement as it diverts attention from what makes the system unequal. It provides an excuse to inequalities, suggesting that due to solely our differences in talents, skills, or capabilities, some individuals are not entitled to the same opportunities as others. However, the reality is that we may possess similar qualifications or skills to others, yet the color of our skin can overshadow our abilities and qualifications.
4. What is the core mission (“first object”) of the US government? Does this surprise you, does it sound different from what our society today seems to suggest the core mission of the government is? Explain. The US government’s primary mission is to protect the interests of the propertied class and maintain the existing class structure. Its focus is on safeguarding the accumulation of wealth, rather than ensuring the welfare of the majority. This does not surprise me, Americas concern has always been the protection of the wealthy and their influence.
5. Given the discussion in questions 1-4, are you surprised that Federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy, and supports a Republican (representative) form of government? Why would d the author dislike a (pure) democratic form of government? Hint: think about how this question connects with the social classes… In “Federalist #10”, Madison believed democracy could cause turbulence and lead to the propertyless majority rising against the propertied class, which could upset the existing social order. It is not surprising as the reader to know he was in favor of the republican class.

1 Conservatives and liberals

2 According to federalist #10 the source of wealth is property. Some factors that explain why some people posses wealth while others remain poor is that the diversity of men of who get the right of property is an obstacle to a uniformity of interest. In other words, depending on what kind of man acquires the property it can result in a division of society.

3. No, i don’t agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty because it sounds to me that if your wealthy the government works in your favor more than the rest of society, which to them would be the ones that are poor.

4 The core mission of “first object” is to protect different and unequal faculties of acquiring properties. This doesn’t really surprise me because its not entirely different from our society today. In our society there are people that can own and keep their property regardless of talent or if there poor. Even if you were born into wealth and your future decisions make you become poor, the government isn’t going to try to prevent you from being poor.

5 No i’m not surprised that federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy because the democracy works in the favor of everyone regardless of if your rich or poor. The author would dislike a (pure) democratic because it was seen as a small number of citizens that cant prevent the mischiefs of faction .The republicans wants to cure the problems that they have. They want to work in the countries best interest.