Federalist No. 10
What it says
Argues a large republic is the best defense against the 'mischiefs of faction' — competing interests check one another across an extended sphere.
How the exam uses it
The classic pairing with Brutus No. 1; also the exam's frame for interest-group pluralism.
Live legislation where this document matters (4)
Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
A century-spanning campaign by organized factions — public-employee unions — overcoming diffuse opposition is Madison's essay running in production.
Border Act of 2024
A bipartisan compromise killed by faction pressure from both flanks is Madison's mischief operating inside the parties themselves.
Sunshine Protection Act of 2025
Madison assumed conflict flows from factions — this bill's 308–117 coalition, splitting by latitude and chronotype instead of party, is the counterexample worth studying.
DISCLOSE Act of 2026
Madison's cure for faction was visibility across an extended republic — disclosure law is that cure translated into campaign finance.