Quote
By James Madison
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controuls 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 controul the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to controul itself.
- Source
- The Federalist No. 51, February 6, 1788 · The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 4, pp. 497-502
- Read at
- Founders Online, National Archives (The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 4)
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About this quote
From Federalist No. 51, first published on February 6, 1788. The text follows the Founders Online edition, which keeps the 1788 spelling "controul." Some later printings spell it "control." Federalist No. 51 appeared under the pen name Publius and is credited to Madison; the Hamilton Papers edition lists its author as "Madison or Hamilton."