Question

part a : based on the excerpt, why did james madison believe that federalism is needed in government? a it allows the government to make decisions more efficiently. b it limits governmental authority in order to avoid abuses of power. c it prevents conflict over controversial governmental policies. d it provides the government with a way to support the powers of the military. part b : which idea expressed by madison in the excerpt provides evidence to support the answer to part a? a people surrender their power to the government. b a single government body is best. c local governments should have the most power. d power divided between governmental bodies protects the people.

Explanation:

• Part A: Federalism is a system where power is divided. Madison, like many of the Founding Fathers, was concerned about tyranny (abuse of power). By dividing power (federalism), no one entity (like a central government alone) has too much power. This limits governmental authority. Options A is incorrect as federalism can sometimes lead to slower decision - making due to the need for coordination. Option C is wrong because federalism doesn't prevent conflict over policies; different levels of government may still have policy disputes. Option D is not related to the core concept of why federalism was advocated (limiting power, not supporting military power).
• Part B: If power is divided between governmental bodies (a key aspect of federalism), it protects the people from any one body having too much power (supports the idea in Part A that it limits authority). Option A about people surrendering power is more about social contract theory in a general sense, not directly about federalism. Option B is against federalism (which is about divided power, not a single body). Option C is an extreme view not in line with Madison's balanced federalism (where power is shared between national and state/local, not just local having the most).

Answer:

• Part A: B. It limits governmental authority in order to avoid abuses of power.
• Part B: D. Power divided between governmental bodies protects the people.