Madison and Fed #51

Brilliant.

Brilliant.

I am not a big James Madison fan, but this entire week we have been reading the Federalist papers in class, and every time the class begins, I remember what brilliance our 4th president brought to the process of writing the United States Constitution, single-handedly writing the Bill of Rights and finally defending the Constitution for ratification in the Federalist Papers.

I've tried to love Alexander Hamilton's contributions to the papers.  Hamilton, Madison, and New Yorker John Jay collaborated to write the Federalist papers in in 1787 as a way to campaign for the ratification of the new Constitution.  9 of the original 13 states had to ratify the new US Constitution to supplant the Articles of Confederation which was a weak and ineffective form of central government.  This Coup d'état (stroke of the state) gave us our "more perfect union."

Illustration showing the campaign for institutional acceptance of the new Constitution.  Massachusetts Centinel, Jan 30, 1788 1

It is Madison's language in Federalist #51 that gives me chills every time we engage with it in class.  I always personally read aloud the passages in class that really get to me.  I'm such a ham, I can't give up power to a student to read them and do them justice.   Here is the passage I will be reading again this morning:

"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." - Federalist #51

Invariably a conversation about government checks and balances ensues.  Why do we need them?  What is Madison saying?  

Checks and balances.  Consent of the governed.  Hmmm.  Timely.  #ConnectHistory

JJ

1 Great resource for Massachusetts' history on the ratification process - https://www.masshist.org/objects/cabinet/february2003/february2003.htm