Final answer:
The quote is from James Madison, one of the authors of The Federalist Papers, addressed to the people of New York, discussing the separation of powers within the federal government.
Step-by-step explanation:
The excerpt provided is attributed to James Madison and is taken from The Federalist Papers. These papers were a collection of essays written to the people of the state of New York but were intended for a broader audience including the entire American population.
They were penned to reassure the public that a strong federal government, as proposed in the new Constitution, would not lead to tyranny because of the separation of powers among the different branches of government. This separation was designed to ensure that no single branch could amass too much power, providing a system of checks and balances within the federal government.