Question

great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed and in the next place oblige it to control itself. a dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.
read the excerpt from the federalist, no.51 (1788). in the passage, what does madison seem to identify as the greatest threat to good government?
ineffective systems
too much power held by government
human nature
poorly defined rights of the people
question 29
why is the separation of powers so important if one is trying to limit overall government power?
it prevents too much power from being concentrated under one group or person in government.
legislation is reviewed by multiple people and groups ensuring that only the \best\ laws are passed
the constitution requires that there are three branches of government.
different branches of government ensure the existence of enough elected officials to give everyone a say in what government does.

Explanation:

• For the first question: Madison emphasizes the need for the government to control itself after controlling the governed. This implies that human nature (which may lead to abuse of power if not checked) is a threat. Auxiliary precautions (like checks and balances) are needed because of human nature.
• For the second question: The separation of powers divides government power among different branches. This division prevents one group or person from having too much power, which is the key to limiting overall government power.

Answer:

• First question: Human nature
• Second question: It prevents too much power from being concentrated under one group or person in government.