Madison's Great Error: Religion Slowly sipping his tea by the fire, James Madison planned the future of the United States, and explained the entire thing to the world in one document: "Federalist No. 10." In this document, Madison makes clear three major points that should be addressed, and explains why and how each point is important. His first point is that faction, or self-interest, is bad for a Democratic Republic. He wrote, "Among the numerous advantages …showed first 75 words of 2505 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2505 total…n's predictions for the future of America, "Hence, it clearly appears, that the same advantage which a republic has over a democracy, in controlling the effects of faction, is enjoyed by a large over a small republic,--is enjoyed by the Union over the States composing it."# A large republic may have worked just according to Madison's plans, but in the end, one very significant thing stood in the way of his perfect future: religion.#