James Madison

James Madison (1751–1836) was the primary author of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, co-author of the Federalist Papers (under the pen name Publius), and the fourth President of the United States. He was also the last Founding Father to die — June 28, 1836, at 85.

The two quotes on Quoteiac's Madison designs come from different phases of his life. "If men were angels, no government would be necessary" is from Federalist No. 51 (1788) — the argument for why constitutional checks and balances are necessary precisely because power cannot be trusted to constrain itself. "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance" is from a private letter written in 1822, five years after leaving the presidency, arguing that publicly funded education is the precondition for self-government, not a luxury.

The two documents are companion arguments. One explains why we need institutional constraints on power. The other explains what makes those constraints work.