Read the quote from James Madison. If men were angels, no government would be necessary. . . . In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself. The main idea that Madison addresses in this passage is why the US government is needed. must be weak. is not needed. must be strong.

The main idea that Madison addresses in the passage is that the US government:

is needed.

Explanation:

The quote we are analyzing here belongs to The Federalist Papers, written by James Madison, who was the fourth president of the United States. The Federalist Papers were also written by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton.

In this particular passage, Madison explains that the government is needed. Men are not angels. We are not free of desire, of greed, of violent impulses, of egotism, etc. We are just men. We will make mistakes. We will need someone to rule us, control us, keep us from harming one another. That is why the government is needed. It has the power to control the governed, to establish rules and laws, to enforce those laws, and to guarantee rights.