by James Madison
But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? 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. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the 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.
Federalist Papers No. 51 (1788) by James Madison
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
What is the intended effect of the rhetorical questions in the passage?
(1 point)
Responses
to pose a question about government the writer wants the reader to answer
to pose a question about government the writer wants the reader to answer
to explain the best method for a government to control the governed
to explain the best method for a government to control the governed
to reinforce a government’s relationship to human nature
to reinforce a government’s relationship to human nature
to emphasize the absolute goodness of human beings
1 answer
The intended effect of the rhetorical questions in the passage is:
to reinforce a government’s relationship to human nature.
The questions highlight the complexities of governance based on the imperfect nature of humanity, suggesting that government is a necessary construct due to human tendencies.
