James Madison Quotes

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.

Power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will be ever liable to abuse.

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.

Abuse of power comes as no surprise

Power is always a corrupting influence.

I believe the root of all evil is abuse of power.

Power is what men seek and any group that gets it will abuse it.

Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.

Those who have more power are liable to sin more; no theorem in geometry is more certain than this.

… the tools of despotism and corruption

Tyranny may creep in under the outward forms of traditional law.

Corruption is just another form of tyranny.

Any excuse will serve a tyrant.

Power without abuse loses its charm.

A strength to harm is perilous in the hand of an ambitious head.

Authority poisons everybody who takes authority on himself.

I have always been fascinated by the corruption of power.

Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power.

Well, when you look at a lot of science fiction novels they're asking questions about power. There are questions about what it means to have power and what are the long-term consequences of power.

The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.

All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.

Power intoxicates men. It is never voluntarily surrendered. It must be taken from them.

Power is like a drug. The more you use it, the larger doses you need.

Powerlessness also corrupts.

Suspect power more than vice.