"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."
James Madison (Federalist 51) Surely the next election matters. But what matters more is what we teach our children and what they tradition to their children about the nature of our republic. Our founding documents are great sources for families to teach their children about the foundational truths that will endure long after the next presidency has been eclipsed. These are the fundamental truths that are the cornerstones of our democracy. The first (and arguably the most important of these is that government's power must be limited because men are not angels and power is a corrupting force in the hearts and hands of men. So let's remind ourselves, our leaders, and our children that no institution or individual was supposed to have unlimited power to exercise over others. Let's remember that the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court should balance and check each other's powers. And finally let's remember that the exercise of power in the name of the common good is often the worst pretense for tyranny.
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AuthorI am a former American History teacher with a passion for helping families to learn about history from primary source documents. Click below to learn more about how you can use documents with your children for American History ArchivesCategories |