Federalist Papers #10

The Federalist Papers were a series (85) of newspaper articles that were written in an attempt to educate the voting citizens of early America in order to facilitate ratification of the US Constitution. They act as a primary source for interpretation of the Constitution, as they outline the philosophy and motivation of the proposed system of government.

Federalist Paper #10 discusses the advantages of a Democratic Republic (and warns of the dangers of a democracy) as a means of preventing faction and advocates for a large republic . It is generally regarded as the most important of the 85 articles from a philosophical perspective.

Note the list of 'improper or wicked projects' that were examples of the kinds of 'maladies' that were specifically trying to be avoided by the founders via a choice of virtuous representatives that could/would override the democratic will, when necessary:

"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 apt
to pervade the whole body of the Union than a particular member of it;
in the same proportion as such a malady is more likely to taint a
particular county or district, than an entire State."

Sound vaguely familiar to what you've been hearing about lately?