THE FEDERALIST No 10

"By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.
There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.
There are again 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."

In this paragraph, James Madison is indicating that faction can become a threat to a Government or a Nation. Madison defined faction as a group of individuals "who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." He believed that factions can influence the public opinion  which can cause chaos in a Government. There are two different ways to deal with factions, either eliminate the source or controlled the effects.

I found this federalist No. 10 essay challenging and complex. The reason why I choose this section of the essay because it is the only part I sort of comprehend. I can compare the factions as the media if I was to relate what he wrote two centuries ago to nowadays. The media has the ability to influence the general public. So if the Government can control the effect of the media like Madison believe as to be done to deal with the faction, then the Government win.

"We are all foreign-born or the descendants of foreign-born, and if distinctions are to be made between us they should rightly be on some other ground than indigenousness. The early colonists came over with motives no less colonial than the later. They did not come to be assimilated in an American melting-pot. They did not come to adopt the culture of the American Indian. They had not the smallest intention of "giving themselves without reservation" to the new country. They came to get freedom to live as they wanted. They came to escape from the stifling air and chaos of the old world; they came to make their fortune in a new land. They invented no new social framework. Rather they brought over bodily the old ways to which they had been accustomed."

In this paragraph, Bourne is explaining first and foremost that America is a land of immigrant.  As an American, we all have an ancestor who is not American "we are all foreign or the descendants of foreign born." Due to our parents or grandparents' immigration, we end up being Americans by birth. So, these immigrants decide to leave their homeland to seek another place. Some migrate to acquire freedom, others to escape poverty.  In other words, they did not come to America to embrace a new culture or  the American ways. Americans have to accept the wishes of the immigrants rather than trying to assimilate them and convince them to forgo their own culture. 

I found this paragraph important although written close to century ago, this idea of America being considered a "melting pot" is true in a way that anybody can come in this land and live freely, no question ask.  In another perspective, this term is becoming more and more abstract in a sense that one cannot say there is a such a thing we can call a "typical American". We do not enjoy the same thing, same food, what we consider right from wrong, what we considered as taboo...the list go on and on, BECAUSE WE COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. I think this is what makes America unique, its originality that no other country can compare. Everyday we get to see different backgrounds and cultures, different ways of seeing things. We are more open-minded because of the diversity we encounter every single day. 

People vs Government

"Americans currently give the federal government and their representatives in Congress very negative reviews. Americans are dissatisfied with the way the nation is being governed, have record-low confidence in the legislative branch of government, believe that the government has too much power, and that individuals and businesses should be doing more and government less.

Some of these negative views are related to the dismal ratings of the economy. Americans no doubt find it hard to be positive about their political leadership when they perceive that the fundamentals of the national economy are moving in the wrong direction."  

       

       This passage emphasizes the dissatisfaction of the American people toward our political leaders.  This is mainly due to the country current economic status and some believe that the nation is heading into the wrong track. Moreover, the government is seen as having "too much power"; and it should be the people and the business industry that ought to be more proactive and government follows.       

 I chose this paragraph although the article was written back in 2011, it is still actuality primarily the economy part . Back in 2008, when President Obama was elected, the American people had hoped that the economy will get better. Six years later, some are saying things are better, but others are still skeptical. I think the leaders are more concerns about their political agendas than the American people. When Democrats say on thing, Republicans say the contrary which label the latter as the “party of NO”.

 Leaders from both parties should be united to fix the economy and put people back to work. We are stronger when we are united.