Blog Essay L4

In Federalist 51, James Madison wrote with the intent of explaining how the government would be kept in check. In the fourth paragraph, Madison state, "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."

In other words, the difficulty that he presents is that you must allow the government enough power to govern, but also make sure that they do not abuse that power. What Madison calls the "primary control" on government is a dependence on the people. The constitution allows for this dependence on the people by setting up a nation where citizens can vote on laws and elect leaders.

He also mentions "auxiliary precautions" which further prevent the government from gaining too much power. These precautions refer to the checks and balances set forth in the constitution. In the third paragraph of Federalist 51, Madison makes the point that without the three branches remaining separate, we would face a tyrannical government. Therefore, the constitution helps the government control itself because of the three branches of government.

To recap, primary control is that the government is dependent on the people. Auxiliary control is the three separate branches of government that check and balance one another.

Inspiration Behind the US Constitution

The US Constitution was a divinely inspired document. The fact that it has survived as the backbone of this country for so long is evidence that it was an inspired document.In Elder Oaks 1992 talk, The Divinely Inspired Constitution, he mentions specific principles in the constitution that were inspired. His disclaimer, however, is that he would not defend every line of the Constitution as scripture; giving the examples of voting age and the compromise on slavery.

 The first inspired principle he mentions is the separation of power. He explains that the idea of separation of power was around before the Constitution, but the way they adapted it to the US Government was inspired. The second example he gives was the Bill of Rights. This protection of the natural rights of citizens was inspired and a very important aspect of the Constitution. The division of powers between states and the federal government was something that was very difficult to agree upon. It was evidence of God's hand in the Constitution. Popular sovereignty was also an evidence of inspiration in the constitution. The final principle he mentioned was the rule of law and not of men. This principle makes it so nobody is above the law and it was inspired.

The backstory behind the creation of the Constitution is one of struggle and disagreement. First, the fact that a constitution was ever developed among such opinionated individuals is evidence that it was inspired. The reasons that the Constitution was inspired revolved around the diligence of the founding fathers. The founding fathers were good men who had the interest of the people in mind and wanted the best, putting their faith in God. Also, they studied what previous philosophers had said- John Locke's ideas of natural rights for example. This study opened their minds to the inspiration of the spirit for the application of good philosophies. They also studied other governments and learned from the mistakes and what was done right. For example, the delegates, for the most part, did not want a monarchy because  they had seen how wrong that system could go. Studying other governments also allowed their minds to be enlightened. In the scriptures, we are taught to counsel together in order to receive revelation. The founding fathers did just that during the Constitutional Convention. As they counseled together, they were able to receive revelation.