Overview

Primary Sources:

• James Madision’s Federalist #10 (1787)
• George Washington’s Farewell Address (1796)
• Barry Goldwater’s Republican Nomination Acceptance Speech (1964)

Instructional Materials

• Beyond the Legacy Video Guide: Political Parties 
• Paideia Seminar Plan – Federalist #10
• Structured Academic Controversy Plan -Political Parties
• SAC Note-taking Graphic Organizer

Participants will learn about the constitutional underpinnings of Federalist #10 and how they relate to political parties today, to engage in a civil discourse model to expand their perspectives on the value, purpose, and impact of political parties today.

• Factions
• Democratic
• Ratification
• declamations
• Liberty
• Compromise
• Checks and Balances
• Individual Rights
• Common good
• Democracy

Federalist #10, written by James Madison, is an important document that talks about the dangers of factions in a democratic society. A faction is a group of people who have similar interests and come together to promote their own interests, sometimes at the expense of the common good. Madison argued that factions are inevitable in a free society because people have different opinions and beliefs.

Madison explains that there are two ways to deal with factions. The first way is to get rid of liberty, which means taking away people's freedom to express their opinions. However, this would go against the principles of democracy and individual rights. The second way is to control the effects of factions. Madison suggests that in a large and diverse country like the United States, factions can be controlled by having a system where many different factions exist. This way, no single faction can become too powerful and dominate others.

According to Madison, a well-constructed government can help prevent the harmful effects of factions. He argues that a strong government with a system of checks and balances can protect the rights of individuals and promote the common good. By having a system where different factions have to work together and compromise, the government can prevent one faction from taking over and oppressing others. Madison believed that this system of government would help ensure the stability and success of the United States.

In this civil discourse module, explore the evolution of political parties from our founding to today including the role of conservatism throughout history. Facilitators can choose to focus on one or more periods of history or use the podcasts and Beyond the legacy video to provide an overview.

Additional Resources

Federalist 10 (Full Text)

Students demonstrate their understanding of political parties and factions by making real world connections between the context surrounding Federalist #10 and that of the present-day United States and the role of political parties today.