The Federalist Papers were a series of eighty-five essays urging the citizens of New York to ratify the new United States Constitution. Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the essays originally appeared anonymously in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788 under the pen name "Publius." Federalist No. 51 addresses means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government and also advocates a separation of powers within the national government. This idea of checks and balances became a crucial document in the establishment of the modern U.S. system of checks and balances. The present United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789. Federalist No. 51 laid out arguments as to why we need checks and balances with the famous quotes, "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition," and “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”
