Federalist 51 | Primary Source Essentials
What are the main Constitutional principles that help limit government? In this rapid-fire episode and Federalist 51 summary of BRI’s Primary Source Essentials, learn the arguments made by James Madison, who wrote Federalist 51, in Federalist 51. The Federalist 51 main points explain why he believed the constitutional checks and balances put in place would help create a limited government.
0:00 Hi. Welcome to primary source essentials. In this episode, we will briefly discuss Federalist 51. Now, the central question for Federalist 51 is what are the main constitutional principles that help limit government? Let’s find out how James Madison answered this question.
0:21 The Federalist Essays were written by those who defended the Constitution against Anti-Federalist critics. Anti-Federalists were concerned that the new government would become a tyranny because it did not sufficiently limit the power of the national government. James Madison and The Federalists responded that the Constitution created a stronger new government
0:46 that had many principles checking power to achieve its ends. In Federalist 51, Madison writing as Publius, begins with a reflection on human nature when he says, if men were angels, no government would be necessary. Now, of course, humans are not angels.
1:06 So Madison asserts controls on the government and the government are necessary. But the question is, what are those controls? Well, Madison points his readers towards a series of constitutional principles that he thinks will prevent tyranny. First, republican government and a dependence upon the sovereign
1:28 people, such as in the Declaration of Independence, is the first check. But there are others, what he called, quote unquote, auxiliary precautions. These included a separation of powers where the branches have independent powers from each other.
1:48 There was also a related system of checks and balances that provide each branch with means of self defense against the others. Now, in addition, the Congress is bicameral, meaning that there are two houses as a check on each other. Finally, Madison states that the new government will be a compound republic
2:10 with different levels of government according to the principle of Federalism. Madison also reiterates interestingly his argument in Federalist Ten that in a large republic, competing factions will prevent majority tyranny. Now, Madison states that the goal of government is to preserve liberty and justice.
2:34 He writes famously and eloquently, justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. Now, Federalist 51 directs us to the idea that the new constitutional government in the new American Republic was much more energetic and had greater powers than had existed under the Articles
2:56 of Confederation, but was still limited by a number of constitutional principles. So the answer in Federalist 51 is that a number of constitutional principles, including separation of powers, checks and balances, bicameralism and Federalism will help limit government and preserve liberty.
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