Ambition: A few quotes from The Federalist Papers: Modern English Edition Two
History teaches us that of the men who have overturned the liberties of republics, most began their career by proclaiming their devotion to the people. They gain position by arousing people’s prejudices and end as tyrants. Federalist Paper #1 [paragraph 5]*
Men are ambitious, vindictive, and greedy. 6[2]
A sacred knot binds the American people. I’ve showed the dangers if the knot is severed by ambition or avarice, by jealousy or misrepresentation. 15[1],
In a republic, people are elected to important offices and have great power. They may be offered bribes that only the most virtuous can refuse. Other officials may be more motivated by ambition or personal interests than their obligations to duty. 22[13]
ambition or revenge too easily inflicts evils upon a country. 30[11]
In a representative republic, the chief executive’s power and term in office are limited. But legislators assume they have influence over the people and they fearlessly use their power. The people should take precautions against the ambition of the legislature. 48[5]
There needs to be a way to block a branch of government from getting more power than the constitution gives it. Each branch needs both constitutional tools and personal motives to block encroachments. Ambition must counteract ambition. The personal interests of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of his office. 51[4]
The third charge against the House of Representative is that members will come from the upper class of citizens, who have little in common with the mass of the people. And their ambition will sacrifice the many to the benefit of the few. 57[1]
Duty, gratitude, interest, and ambition will keep Representatives faithful to the people. However, these may not be enough to control the caprice and wickedness of man. 57[14]
liberty must be protected from the negative effects of ambition, faction, and anarchy. 70[1]
Keeping the Union will restrain local factions and insurrections. And it will restrain the ambition of powerful people in single States who could become despots. 85[3]
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The index in my translations of The Federalist Papers is different than other indexes. Instead of referring to page numbers, each subject refers to the Federalist Paper number and the paragraph number within the Paper that discusses the subject.
By referencing the Paper number [paragraph number] the index can be used with both my translations and any version of the original Papers. (In some copies of the original version, the paragraph number is off by one.)
As an example, I’ve put the entry for “ambition” below.
ambition, 6[2], 22[13], 27[6], 30[11], 46[1], 70[1,22], 71[2]
of ally 22[11,12]
ambition blocks ambition, 51[4], 62[8], 72[5, 6,13]
executive of democracy, 48[5]
of legislature, 48[5]
makes defense necessary, 34[5], 41[11-12,14], 43[15]
national government usurp State powers, 17[1], 46[8-9]
politicians/rulers, 1[3-5], 2[11], 10[7], 18[7,18], 28[9], 29[12], 34[7], 43[14], 52[6], 57[1,14,16-17], 61[1], 63[17], 71[6], 75[3]
reason for States to disunite, 15[1], 22[17], 59[10], 85[3]
wars started, 4[3], 6[5,12,15], 8[13]
*The Federalist Papers: In Modern Language, The Federalist Papers: Modern English Edition Two, Webster, 2008.