James Madison
In Federalist 51, James Madison wrote, “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.”
In Federalist 45, he explained, “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation, for the most part be connected. The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State.”
As quoted by Mark Levin in Ameritopia
HKO Comments:
The genius of the founding fathers may have been in recognizing both the limitations of the governed and the governing. It is the great shortcoming of those pushing the growth of the state that, while quite vocal on the shortcomings of the individuals and the private sector, they seem almost blind to the shortcoming of the governing elite.
Those that in private favor a benevolent dictator should realize that when the ruler is no longer benevolent he remains a dictator. Both the left and the right should picture their worst nightmare in the shoes of the ruler before they bestow irreversible power to that office.
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