You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.Well, good luck. Anthony de Jasay has devoted his scholarly career to showing that, logically, this is a lost cause. Madison was supposed to be a pretty smart fellow. Why didn't he realize that his maxim is hopeless?
Proudly delegitimizing the state since 2005
"Aye, free! Free as a tethered ass!" —W.S. Gilbert
"All the affairs of men should be managed by individuals or voluntary associations, and . . . the State should be abolished." —Benjamin Tucker
"You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." —James Madison
"Fat chance." —Sheldon Richman
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Limited Government
Can a polity bind itself with a knot so complex that it can't untie it? I've long wondered about that. The theory of the state offers many puzzles that can fascinate but that in the end are insoluable. Here's one from James Madison, Federalist 51:
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