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Federalism is the best curb on democracy. [It] assigns limited powers to the central government. Thereby all power is limited. It excludes absolute power of the majority.
Lord Acton
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Federalism restricts government power to prevent tyranny of the majority.

In this quote, Lord Acton argues that federalism serves as a safeguard against the potential excesses of democracy by limiting the powers assigned to the central government. This framework ensures that no single entity or majority can wield unchecked power, promoting a system of governance that respects individual rights and diversifies authority across different levels of government.

Themes

FederalismDemocracyPowerGovernmentTyranny

In practice

Example use cases

During a seminar on political systems, to illustrate the importance of checks and balances.

More from Lord Acton

Great men are almost always bad men.
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Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.
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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
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Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition...The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. ~ Every class is unfit to govern ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.
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Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
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