Which quotation from the Federalist Papers5 is most clearly a response to the Anti-Federalist argument that politicians within a strong federal government might try to take over the country?

The Federalist Papers, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, were a series of essays written to encourage the ratification of the United States Constitution. They also aimed to address the concerns of the Anti-Federalists, who feared that a strong central government might become tyrannical and overpower state governments.

One of the quotations from the Federalist Papers that most clearly responds to the Anti-Federalist argument that politicians within a strong federal government might try to seize control over the country is found in Federalist No. 51, where James Madison writes:

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. 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 this statement, Madison acknowledges the concerns about potential abuses of power and addresses them by explaining the necessity of checks and balances within the government structure. He argues that because men are not angels and are imperfect, there must be a system in place to prevent any single individual or group from consolidating too much power.

Extra: The Federalist Papers were instrumental during the founding of the United States because they laid out a philosophical foundation for the Constitution and explained how the various components of government would work together to protect the freedom and rights of the people. The papers discuss various forms of government and compare the proposed federal government with existing state governments and other forms of governance that the authors considered less effective or more prone to tyranny.

The Federalist No. 51 is particularly important because it delves into the idea of separation of powers and the system of checks and balances—core principles of the U.S. Constitution. The essence of this principle is to divide power among different branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) to ensure that no single branch becomes too powerful.

Madison's point was that a strong federal government was actually a safeguard against tyranny because the different branches would keep each other in check. Each branch has specific powers and responsibilities that are designed to balance out the powers of the other branches. Additionally, the power is shared between the federal government and the state governments, which provides another layer of security against potential abuse by ensuring that power is not centralized in any one area.

In summary, the Federalist No. 51 argues that a strong federal government structured with checks and balances is the best defense against the consolidation of power and that it provides the necessary measures to prevent potential overreach by politicians.