Passage: In 'Federalist No. 10,' James Madison argues that the greatest threat to a stable republic is 'faction'—groups of citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or the interests of the community. Madison contends that factions are an inevitable consequence of human nature and liberty. Since the causes of faction cannot be removed without destroying freedom, he proposes that the government must be designed to control its effects. A large, diverse republic, Madison argues, prevents any single faction from gaining enough power to oppress the minority.