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

Faction is by definition a grouping of individuals, especially within a political organization, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A group formed to seek some goal within a political party or a government. Faction remind me of the concept ideology which is a set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons. Some times in the faction there is conflict between members of the same organization. The conflict divide these members based on distinct interests.

1. 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….”

By definition faculties mean abilities for a person, natural or acquired, for a particular kind of action. Per Madison some people get to possess wealth because of their faculty. They get to acquire land because of their power, intelligence. On the other hand, those who stay without property do not have the abilities that the ones who own have. The text of Michael Parenti stated that from colonial men of influence received vast land grants which make them become property owner. Therefore, all property owner became the wealthiest in the country and the ones almost no property became the poor. Now, with the Constitution the Federalist proposed laws the were explicitly defending their interests. This format consistently increase the gap because the owning class and the laboring class.

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

I agree in the sense that faculty is an inherent capability, power, or function. Because if you were born Indians, African descent, women, indentures servants, you have no right of having property. In other words, it is like God created you to be poor. It is like people that are wealthy they have a talent for that. People that are poor don’t have this talent.

1. 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 of the US is the right to life, liberty, economic freedom, and the “pursuit of happiness.” It is the purpose of government to protect these rights, and it may not place unfair or unreasonable restraints on their exercise. Many of these rights are enumerated in the Bill of Rights. The Federalist suggest that the core mission is to resolves problems among the citizens, protect commercial interests, defend the wealthy class against the others. Nowadays, the US tend to favorized more the wealthy comparing to the labor class. In reality, however, policy has mostly gone the other way. Tax rates on corporation and high income have gone down, unions have been crushed, the minimum wage, adjusted for inflation, is lower than it was in 1960.

1. 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 democracies where the majority rules, people make decisions by majority power and while the majority knows what the right thing to do is. The majority places its own immediate wants above what is right.  For a society to protect the public welfare the society must be able to do what is right, which the majority cannot do in other words the working class. “No man is allowed to be a judge in his own case because his interests will certainly bias his judgment and corrupt his integrity”. Therefore a republic is better than a democracy per the Federalist.  It controls all factions while democracies can only control small and inconsequential factions.  It protects the public’s integrity by letting representatives make mistakes while leaving the public free to punish the representatives for the consequences of the mistakes the representatives make that are not consistent with the general and public welfare. The Federalist would never support a democracy because In a Democracy, the individual, and any group of individuals composing any minority, have no protection against the unlimited power of the majority. It would be impractical to administer an entire country if people had to have a direct vote on every issue.