Final answer:
James Madison's quote suggests that government's power, while necessary, is always at risk of being abused. The correct answer is b) Government's power can lead to corruption and misuse. This understanding led to the creation of a government with a system of checks and balances to safeguard against the concentration of power.
Step-by-step explanation:
James Madison's quote "the essence of government is power, and power lodged as it must in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse" reflects the understanding that while government's power is necessary to ensure the rights and liberties of individuals, it inherently has the potential to be misused. The appropriate answer to the student's question is b) Government's power can lead to corruption and misuse. This concept is a fundamental reason why the Founders, including Madison, designed a system of government with checks and balances, aiming to divide power to prevent any single entity or person from having absolute control, as expressed in the Federalist Papers.
Madison's views are echoed in the passage from the Declaration of Independence, which asserts that government derives its powers from the consent of the governed and that it's the right of the people to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive to their fundamental rights. This underscores the belief that government should serve the people and not the other way around. Madison's political theory, influenced by Montesquieu, seeks to preserve liberty by ensuring justice through a balanced government structured to control itself and prevent the abuse of power.