James Madison, The Federalist Papers : No. 47 (Feb. 1, 1788) p. 298.

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.

— James Madison on Centralisation

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny." in the context of "James Madison, The Federalist Papers : No. 47 (Feb. 1, 1788) p. 298." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Centralisation" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
James Madison

About James Madison

James Madison Jr. (16 March 1751 – 28 June 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.