Federalist No. 10 and No. 51 were a series of essays written by James Madison, arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution. Before ratification, the Articles of Confederation demarcated only the thirteen colonies, uniting them as a military alliance rather than a cohesive government. The central government lacked authority; the national government could not collect taxes or force states to comply with their laws. The lack of a strong central government made it difficult for the states to function effectively as a single nation. State legislatures had too much power under the Articles, so Madison's goal was to restrict the power of the states. Madison, Jay, and Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers to encourage citizens to support ratification of the Constitution. Federalists No. 10 and No. 51 are very popular compared to the rest of the essays. Federalist No.10 is the introduction to Madison's contributions to the series. Madison addresses the issue of “factions” and the disastrous effects on our freedoms. Madison argues that a strong, large republic would better control the effects of faction, rather than a smaller republic. Madison also advocated representation in government rather than direct democracy. With delegates, the passions of the people would be filtered and only ideas good for the majority of the people would prevail. Madison expands his argument in Federalist No. 10 by having three distinct branches of government, the judicial, legislative, and executive. Each branch would be independent and have equal power. Madison also notes that people are fundamentally flawed and therefore government must be able to control their passions. Madison states: “If men were angels, no government would be a diverse republic, where it would be difficult for factions to obtain majority power. However, Madison knew that too large a republic would lead to a country without cohesion among its states. Madison noted that if the republic grew too large, its representatives would pay little attention to local problems. In Federalist 10, Madison states that federalism would solve the problem of a large republic. Madison argues that no matter how large the number of representatives in the federal government, state and local officials will handle local affairs. These local officials will have smaller constituencies, which will handle any local issues that may arise. In Federalist 51, Madison continues his argument about federalism, asserting that federalism is meant to protect liberty; ensuring that a ministry or branch of government does not become too large.