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Primary sourceDocument6 February 1788

Federalist No. 51

James Madison · 6 February 1788

Madison's essay explaining why government power must be divided and checked, famous for the line 'If men were angels.'

Likely written by Madison, this essay lays out his reasoning for the separation of powers built into the Constitution.

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What it is

Federalist No. 51 is an essay attributed to James Madison, published in The New York Independent Journal on February 6, 1788, under the pseudonym 'Publius.' It is the fifty-first of The Federalist Papers, written to support ratification of the Constitution.

Why it matters

The essay explains the idea of checks and balances between the branches of government, arguing that because people are not perfect ('if men were angels, no government would be necessary'), power must be divided so that 'ambition' in one branch counters ambition in another. It remains one of the most cited Federalist essays by American courts and shows how Madison, building on Enlightenment thinkers like Locke and Montesquieu, tried to design a government that would guard against tyranny.

Look closer

  • What does the phrase 'if men were angels' suggest about Madison's view of human nature?
  • Why might dividing government into branches help prevent abuse of power?
  • Who was the intended audience of this essay, and how might that shape its arguments?

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