Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
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.
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
All quotes βSave 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.
Lord ActonRead
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.
Lord ActonRead
Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
Lord ActonRead
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