Thursday 29 October 2015

Quote of the Day: On controlling government

“But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?
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. A dependence
on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government;
but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”

~ James Madison, from The Federalist No. 51, 1788:
The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper
Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments

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