FEBRUARY 7, 2020: On February 8, 1788, the 51st Federalist Paper was published in the New York Packet.[1] ([link removed]) James Madison’s column was part of a series encouraging the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. In Federalist 51, he explained the virtues of requiring checks and balances in any system of government.
He also identified the central challenge that must be faced when creating a new government:
“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.”[1] ([link removed])
This year, I have been re-reading the Federalist Papers and once again discovering how relevant their 18th-century wisdom remains in the 21st century. My belief is that drawing upon that wisdom can point our nation to an even brighter future.[2] ([link removed])
For that reason, I have recently released five columns connecting the thoughts of our founders to the issues facing our society today. New columns will be released each Monday by the _Deseret News ([link removed]) _.
* I challenged myself to read one of the Federalist Papers every day. Here’s what I’ve learned so far ([link removed])
* Not all advice in the Federalist Papers is good, but we can learn from it anyway ([link removed])
* What was Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a great nation? ([link removed])
* The truth about special interest politics in America ([link removed])
* How the Experience of 21st Century Auto Companies Highlights the Wisdom of James Madison ([link removed])
I recognize, of course, that the founders of our government were far from perfect. They had some horrific blind spots and their analysis wasn’t always on the mark. After all, they were men, not angels. And, it should be noted, the Constitution they gave us wasn’t perfect either.
At the same time, the men who gathered to draft our Constitution gave great and careful thought to a foundational question about power and politics. Their thoughts are a national treasure that we ignore at our peril.[2] ([link removed])
** CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NUMBER OF THE DAY ONLINE→ ([link removed])
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Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day ([link removed]) explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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_Scott Rasmussen is an editor-at-large for Ballotpedia, the Encyclopedia of American Politics. He is a senior fellow for the study of self-governance at the King’s College in New York. His most recent book, ** Politics Has Failed: America Will Not ([link removed])
** , ([link removed])
was published by the Sutherland Institute in August 2018._
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