Which of the following statements is most consistent with the ideas expressed by James Madison?
A) It is essential for the central government to have a permanent standing army at its disposal so that it will be able to maintain order and defend the nation.
B) In order to overcome the flaws of the Confederation government, it is necessary to create a chief executive who is directly elected by the people.
C) The primary weakness of the Confederation government lies in the fact that the Congress is denied the power to tax.
D) The national government must be structured so as to prevent a single interest group from controlling it.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

James Madison was a proponent of the separation of powers and the checks and balances within the federal government. He believed that a decentralized government was necessary to prevent any one interest group from becoming too powerful and controlling the government. This is reflected in the idea of federalism and the establishment of separate branches of government with distinct powers and responsibilities in the Constitution. Therefore, the most consistent statement with Madison's ideas would be choice D.

Which of the Following Statements Is Most Consistent with the Ideas