AP and Honors U.S.

Government and Politics Federalist Papers Reading Assignment

These are the Federalist Papers assignments. Read them and summarize the major points of
each. Answer the questions as listed.
1. Federalist 10.
a. What is a faction?
b. How can factions be controlled?
c. What is wrong with trying to remove the causes of factions as a remedy to their
effects?
d. What is the most common source of factions (why do they arise; does Madison
echo Aristotle here?)
e. How does the Constitution and our Republic control factions?
f. What are the main differences between a democracy and a republic?
2. Federalist 48.
a. According to Madison why should the departments of government not be totally
separated as would seemingly be implied by the principle of separation of
powers?
b. Of the three traditional branches of government, which one encroaches the most
on the others, particularly in a representative republic? Why?
c. Why is this branch (from the above question) dominant over the other branches?
Do you think Madisons argument is still true with our government today? Why
or why not?
3. Federalist 51.
a. What are the primary means by which we can prevent one department of
government from concentrating too much power over the other departments?
b. According to James Madison what is the nature of man and government?
c. Since in republican government the legislature dominates, what can be done to
limit the power of the legislature?
d. What are the institutional and sociological instruments (ways) to control
competing interests to maximize the common good?
4. Federalist 78.
a. Why do we have life tenure (as opposed to a set term) for judges?
b. How is the judiciary branch the weakest? Is this true today? Why or why not?
c. What is the role of the judiciary branch, specifically the Supreme Court?