Essay On How Did The Constitution Guard Against Tyranny

James Madison said, ¨If men were angels no government would be needed.” But men are not angels therefore a limited government is needed in order to rule over a free people. Because the United State's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, proved to be too weak, the leaders of the country recognized the need for a stronger central government. In the summer of 1787, delegate from the states met in Philadelphia to frame a new government. Their challenge was to create a stronger federal government without giving too much power to any one person or group, thus creating a tyranny. The result of their efforts was a new constitution divided into three separate branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. In what ways does the Constitution shield us from oppression? The Constitution guards against tyranny in three ways: federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.
In Federalist Paper #47, James Madison explicates how one person or group withholding all the power is the definition of tyranny and that, “[L]iberty requires the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct.” The excerpt from the United States’ Constitution explain the different powers given to each branch of government. For instance, in Article 1, Section 1 it states, “All legislative power herein granted shall be vested in a Congress…” Moreover, the United States’ Constitution explains, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States.” Additionally, the Constitution states, “The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such inferior courts….” Separation of Powers helps guard against tyranny because we prevent a singular branch from ruling over the people and have all the power, the very definition of tyranny. By separating the power of each branch it assures that no one branch overpowers