Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Federalist number 51.

Five questions for James Madison:
1.) How is the separation of powers between the three branches assured?
2.) Based on their view of human nature, what kind of government did Madison or Hamilton say needed to be created?
3.) What exactly does "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition," mean?
4.) Why do you address defense so much?
5.) Why the pseudonym "PUBLIUS?"

Five quotes:
1.) "In order to lay a due foundation for that separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government, which to a certain extent is admitted on all hands to be essential to the preservation of liberty, it is evident that each department should have a will of its own;"
Summed it up nicely.
2.) "Were the executive magistrate, or the judges, not independent of the legislature in this particular, their independence in every other would be merely nominal."
Fact or opinion?
3.) "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.'
I can;t tell if this is religious or not.
4.) "It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part."
Grand over-arching themes of the paper.
5.) "And happily for the republican cause, the practicable sphere may be carried to a very great extent, by a judicious modification and mixture of the federal principle."
The very last line of the paper.

1 comment:

  1. I am going to respond to your first question. I am not really sure that the separation of powers can always be assured, but I do believe that through this system, there is definitely a good system of checks and balances that allows for the separation of power. However, I do not think that is is assured necessarily because times are always changing and maybe someday, something will happen and who knows?! Maybe all three of the branches will come together as one branch! I do think, however, that the Founding Fathers meant to assure it through their proposed system of check and balances. :)

    ~Hope

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