Question

Federalist Paper 51--James Madison

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.
1. What does Madison mean by "You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.»?
2. What is Madison's general opinion of people in government, based on the quote?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Madison means that the primary challenge in creating a government is to strike a balance between giving the government enough power to control the actions of the people it governs and limiting the government's power to prevent it from abusing that power. In other words, the government must be able to enforce laws and maintain order, but it must also be held accountable for its actions and prevented from overstepping its authority.

Based on the quote, Madison appears to have a somewhat pessimistic view of people in government. He suggests that humans are not inherently virtuous and that government officials, like all people, are susceptible to corruption and abuse of power. Therefore, he argues that it is necessary to create a system of checks and balances to ensure that the government is accountable to the people it serves and prevented from becoming too powerful.