Government control Quote by Ben Carson
““In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men,” James Madison pointed out, “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.””
About This Quote
Governments must balance authority over citizens with self‑regulation to avoid tyranny.
In simple terms: Power needs checks and self‑control.
Key Takeaway
Implement accountability mechanisms.
Themes
politics
authority
self‑control
Mood
serious
analytical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- legislation
- public policy
- organizational leadership
Key Concepts
checks and balances
governance theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How to ensure government self‑regulation?
- What safeguards prevent abuse?
A Different Perspective
Self‑control can be hard to enforce.
![“[I]n framing a Government for a nation we ought, in those provisions which are designed to be permanent, to calculate not on temporary, but on permanent causes of expence.” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/56e/alexander-hamilton-619_causes_i-n-framing-a-government-for-a-nation-we_1783281.jpg)
![“England shouldn't have the real freedom of vote and we shouldn't either. Because as [James Madison] put it, one of the primary goals of government was to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority, to make sure the opulent maintain their rights. The constitutional system was…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ca/noam-chomsky-42_constitutional_england-shouldn-t-have-the-real-freedom_430659.jpg)
