"In one of the most notable essays, Federalist 10, Madison rejected the then common belief that republican government was possible only for small states. He argued that stability, liberty, and justice were more likely to be achieved in a large area with a numerous and heterogeneous population. Although frequently interpreted as an attack on majority rule, the essay is in reality a defense of both social, economic, and cultural pluralism and of a composite majority formed by compromise and conciliation. Decisions by such a majority, rather than by a monistic one, would be more likely to accord with the proper ends of government. This distinction between a proper and an improper majority typifies the fundamental philosophy of the Federalist papers; republican institutions, including the principle of majority rule, were not considered good in themselves but were good because they constituted the best means for the pursuit of justice and the preservation of liberty."
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From pages 74 and 75 of Founding Fathers: The Essential Guide to the Men Who Made America, "Federalist Papers" entry. The book is from Encyclopædia Britannica, with an introduction by Joseph J. Ellis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-0-470-11792-7. (copyright 2007)
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The Federalist Papers
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