Quotes · Skopia

55 quotes

SortEditorial Year Length

Person·James Madison✕clear

Political literature

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Bill of Rights · 1789

★ 7.6

Essay · Political literature

Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.

Federalist 51 · 1788

★ 7.6

Essay · Political literature

Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.

Federalist 10 · 1787

★ 7.5

Political literature

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Bill of Rights · 1789

★ 7.2

Essay · Political literature

Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency.

Federalist 10 · 1787

★ 7.0

Essay · Political literature

It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

Federalist 51 · 1788

★ 7.0

Essay · Political literature

Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit.

Federalist 51 · 1788

★ 7.0

Essay · Political literature

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.

Federalist 47 · 1788

★ 7.0

Some degree of abuse is inseparable from the proper use of every thing; and in no instance is this more true, than in that of the press. It has accordingly been decided by the practice of the States, that it is better to leave a few of its noxious branches to their luxuriant growth, than by pruning them away, to injure the vigor of those yielding the proper fruits.

1800

★ 4.5

Political literature

The right of trial by jury shall be preserved.

Bill of Rights · 1789

★ 4.0

Essay · Political literature

Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob.

Federalist 55 · 1788

★ 3.9

Political literature

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Bill of Rights · 1789

★ 3.9

Essay · Political literature

Experience is the oracle of truth; and where its responses are unequivocal, they ought to be conclusive and sacred.

Federalist 20 · 1787

★ 3.8

Essay · Political literature

It will not be denied, that power is of an encroaching nature, and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it.

Federalist 48 · 1788

★ 3.8

Political literature

Nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

Bill of Rights · 1789

★ 3.8

Political literature

The right of the people to be secure...against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.

Bill of Rights · 1789

★ 3.8

Political literature

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.

Bill of Rights · 1789

★ 3.8

Pamphlet · Political literature

No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.

1795

★ 3.8

Essay · Political literature

By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

1787

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

Is it not the glory of the people of America, that, whilst they have paid a decent regard to the opinions of former times and other nations, they have not suffered a blind veneration for antiquity, for custom, or for names, to overrule the suggestions of their own good sense, the knowledge of their own situation, and the lessons of their own experience?

Federalist 14 · 1787

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

So strong is this propensity of mankind to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions and excite their most violent conflicts.

Federalist 10 · 1787

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular States, but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other States.

Federalist 10 · 1787

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.

Federalist 10 · 1787

★ 3.7

Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation.

1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

The defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places.

Federalist 51 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles, but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.

Federalist 48 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.

Federalist 45 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

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.

Federalist 51 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

It is ESSENTIAL to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans, and claim for their government the honorable title of republic.

Federalist 39 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

We may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior.

Federalist 39 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

A good government implies two things: first, fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can be best attained.

Federalist 62 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

In a society under the forms of which the stronger faction can readily unite and oppress the weaker, anarchy may as truly be said to reign as in a state of nature.

Federalist 51 · 1788

★ 3.7

Essay · Political literature

The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments, in times of peace and security.

Federalist 45 · 1788

★ 3.7

A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both.

1822

★ 3.7

Speech · Political speech

I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.

1788

★ 3.6

Essay · Newspaper · Political literature

In every political society, parties are unavoidable. A difference of interests, real or supposed is the most natural and fruitful source of them...the great art of politicians lies in making them checks and balances to each other.

Parties · 1792

★ 3.6

Essay · Political literature

The most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property.

Federalist 10 · 1787

★ 2.1

Essay · Political literature

In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates.

Federalist 51 · 1788

★ 2.1

Political literature

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall...abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

1789

★ 2.1

Essay · Political literature

A pure democracy, by which I mean a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person, can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction.

1787

★ 2.0

Show 15 more of 55 (41–55)