The Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson
By Subject
GOVERNMENT / CHECKS AND BALANCES
To make us one nation as to foreign concerns, and keep us distinct in
domestic ones, gives the outline of the proper division of powers
between the general and particular governments. But, to enable the
federal head to exercise the powers given it to best advantage, it
should be organized as the particular ones are, into legislative,
executive, and judiciary. The first and last are already separated.
The second should be. When last with Congress, I often proposed to
members to do this, by making of the committee of the States, an
executive committee during the recess of Congress, and, during its
sessions, to appoint a committee to receive and despatch all executive
business, so that Congress itself should meddle only with what should
be legislative. But I question if any Congress (much less all
successively) can have self-denial enough to go through with this
distribution. The distribution, then, should be imposed on them.
to James Madison, 16 December 1786
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