Which statement did James Madison argue in Federalist No. 10?

• A. The presence of a few large factions helps to protect the rights of minorities
• B. A system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism
• C. Small republics are better able to ensure individual liberty than are large republics
• D. Participatory democracy is the surest way to prevent tyranny

Answer: (B)

Factions are inevitable in any free society, so the focus is on how to limit their harms. Madison argues that the remedy is a large republic with representative government. By electing careful representatives in a wide and diverse country, decision-making is filtered and passions are tempered, preventing any single faction from dominating. The extended sphere also means many interests must coalign to form stable policy, making it harder for a majority faction to oppress minorities. This is why a system of republican representation that operates in a large, pluralistic republic best curbs factional excesses.

The other ideas miss this lever. He doesn’t claim that a few large factions protect minorities, nor that small republics are inherently superior for liberty, nor that direct participatory democracy is the surest safeguard. The emphasis is on representation and scale as checks on factional power.