Federalist Paper #10

[6] " ...Property rights originate from the people. But men’s abilities are diverse, creating an insurmountable obstacle to equality of acquisitions. Protection of these abilities is government’s primary function. Because government protects different and unequal abilities to acquire property, the people end up owning properties of varying value and kind. This diversity of property ownership divides society into groups with different interests and concerns.

[7] "Therefore, faction is part of the very nature of man. People have different opinions about religion and government. Ambitious leaders, human passions and diverse interests divide mankind into parties and inflame animosities. People tend to oppress each other, not cooperate for their common good. Frivolous differences become excuses to kindle unfriendly passions and excite violent conflicts.

"The most common source of factions is the unequal distribution of property. Property owners and people without property have different interests. Likewise, creditors and debtors.

"Civilized nations have property owners, manufacturers, merchants, bankers and many less defined occupations. This creates different groups of people with different views and interests. Regulating these conflicting interests is the principal task of modern legislation. Therefore, factions are a part of the ordinary operations of government.

[22] "Factious leaders may kindle a flame within their States, while not able to spread a conflagration through the other States. A religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the Confederacy. But the variety of sects dispersed over the entire country secures the national councils against this danger. A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less able to pervade the whole Union, just like a malady is more likely to taint a specific county or district than an entire State."*