Structure Of The Government Must Furnish The Proper Checks And Balances: Federalist 51

James Madison’s Federalist 10 was written amid criticisms that a republican form of government had never been successful on a large scale. Madison’s argument was that a well-constructed union could control factions. He argued that in order to control factions from their causes, we would need to either give up liberty or free thought. Since we cannot infringe upon these two natural rights, we must move on to controlling the effects. A republic, Madison argues, would be able to do this because the people choose the representatives, and they choose representatives who they feel best represent their opinions.

(James Madison, Federalist Paper #51, 1788) Having separate governments within each state prevents tyranny by giving more power to the people instead of keeping it in the central

In Federalist Paper #51, James Madison argued for the Constitution by explaining checks and balances, saying “…the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other….”. What he means when he says this, is that the three branches all have certain powers which make them pretty powerful, however the other branches have certain powers that allows them to check on one another, which in turn, balances out the power, and makes sure that one branch of government never becomes too powerful, which could lead that branch into tyranny. Also, in that same Federalist Paper, James Madison also states, “ [The three branches] should not be so far separated as to have no constitutional control over each other. ”James Madison adds to this thought by pretty much saying that these checks and balances also ensure that they work together, and aren’t far from each other, because through this they are able to check each other’s work, which would make sure that every branch is working, and they would be able to balance the responsibilities of a certain task easier. Also, according to the chart on Document D, an example of checks and balances would be that while a president can nominate people to the cabinets, the Congress would still have to approve these people.

• A president needed to be elected • Many Americans thought that the government was the main threat to their rights • James Madison wrote that the government had to be powerful enough to protect people’s rights, but not so strong that it could control rights of people • By May 25th, the convention was officially underway • George Washington was very admired by most Americans • Delegates decided on the rules for the next convention

Federalist # 8 The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States 1. According to Hamilton, why would war between the states of the Union be more destructive than wars in Europe? There were a few reasons why Hamilton thought that war between the states would be more destructive than wars in Europe.

“The accumulation of all powers..in the same hands, whether of one or many (is) the very definition of tyranny.” (James Madison, Federalist Paper #47, 1788) ( Background Essay) This quote explains the reasoning for one of the framers, (B) Separation of Powers. The framers of the constitution were created to prevent tyranny and create a stronger government that would hold the nation together. Tyranny ultimately means harsh, absolute power in the hands of one individual-- like a king or dictator. The constitution guarded against tyranny in 4 ways: (A)Federalism, (B)Separation of Powers, (C)Checks & Balances, and (D)Small State-Large State.

James Madison wrote Federalist 51 over 200 years ago, yet its words still impact today’s government in 2016. When writing Federalist 51, Madison had two main objectives in mind; he wanted a government with a separation of powers, and he also wanted minorities to be protected. Both of his objectives have been accomplished and continue to be present in today’s American government with the latter objective being more present in today’s government even more so than in the past. To begin with, power is separated in today’s government, preventing a single person or group from having absolute power since, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” according to John Dalberg-Acton. The American government is composed of three branches which power is separated amongst.

Madison’s essay reflects the fear many had of a tyrannical government and the desire to ensure that the country didn’t revert back to that which it had just escaped from. He notes the necessity to prevent any one faction or group from gaining too much power and oppressing those in the minority. The separation of powers was set in place to ensure that this could not happen. Even if one group decides they want something, the other two have the equal authority to prevent it should it not represent the country as a whole.

The Constitution guarded against tyranny in several ways in which were federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and big vs. small state compromises. What Madison is saying is that there are many kinds of tyranny. You can have a tyranny of one supreme ruler who takes all the power for himself or herself. You can also have a tyranny of several generals and religious leaders that seize control. The challenge was to write a Constitution that was strong enough to hold the states and the people together without letting any person or group, or branch, or level of government gain too much control.

DBQ Essay The United States Constitution is a document that or founding fathers made in order to replace the failing Articles of Confederation (A of C). Under the Constitution, the current government and states don’t have the problems they faced when the A of C was in action. The Constitution was created in 1788, and held an idea that the whole nation was nervous about. This idea was a strong national government, and the Federalist assured the people that this new government would work. The framers of the Constitution decided to give more power to the Federal government rather than the state governments because the A of C had many problems, there was a need for the layout of new government, rights, and laws, and there was a need for the Federal

“The accumulation of all powers… in the same hands, whether one, a few, or many… may be justly pronounced the very definition of tyranny. ”-James Madison. Fifty-five delegates, from the thirteen states, met in Philadelphia in May of 1787 to discuss and revise the Articles of Confederation. The chief executive and the representatives worked to create a frame for what is now our Constitution. The Constitution guarded against tyranny in four ways; Federalism that creates a State and Federal government, Separation of Powers that gives equal power to the three branches, Checks and Balances that create balance in the three branches by checking each other and being checked and the Small States vs the Big States ensures an equal voice for all states no matter what their size.

In the Federalist Paper number 51, Madison writes to the people of New York to explain that it is necessary for a separation of powers between the departments of the government. Madison, with the help of Hamilton, wrote the Federalist Papers to explain sections of the Constitution. In Federalist Paper number 51, Madison explains that the government does not have a strong structure on the outside, but creating a firm structure within the government could be a solution. The firmer structure would be the separation of powers. In order for the people to get a better idea and make a more accurate judgement about the separation of powers, Madison shares observations and puts them into simpler terms.

Madison brings up that it isn’t possible to divide power absolutely equally and “In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates.” (2). And so, the legislative branch will be divided even more to try and combat the unbalance of power. Madison thought this system was a good method because he believed that it was part of human nature to have conflicting ideas and wants, and so each branch could keep the others in line and therefor no one power is above the others. Furthermore, Madison believes a bigger government with multiple branches is better because then it becomes difficult for one

The Constitution is still relevant today because it separates the power each branch of government has in the United States. The separation of powers serves several purposes. The separation prevents concentration of power, seen as the form of tyranny, and provides each branch with weapons to fight off encroachment by the other two branches. As argued by James Madison in the Federalist Papers (No. 51), "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition."

When the people acquiesce two or more of these powers in a single body, liberty dies soon after. Correspondingly, In Federalist No. 47, Madison declares, “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” History has repeatedly proven that the natural disposition of man is too corruptible to exercise total power righteously. It is therefore incumbent to create a system of structural and auxiliary checks on political power “to the end it may be a government of laws and not of men” (Mass. Const.). While it is one thing to talk about the separation of powers in theory, but the great question to be solved was how to maintain the separation of powers in practice.