James Madison once said, “All men in power must be distrusted.” » With these words, Madison declared that not all government officials use their authority for good; some abuse this power and use it to get more for themselves rather than entrusting it to the people. This question can lead to tyranny. Tyranny is when all power belongs to one person or group. In May 1787, the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia to draft a better constitution. One of the topics of great concern was how the constitution would protect against tyranny. Madison and the other delegates wanted a Constitution strong enough to unite the states and people without allowing any one person or group to gain too much power. They achieved this in several ways. Today, the U.S. Constitution protects against tyranny by including a separation of powers, federalism, and equitable representation of the states. Separation of powers prevents one branch from gaining too much power by creating 3 separate and distinct branches. Power can be shared equally between the different branches. . According to Madison, “Liberty requires that the three great departments of power be separate and distinct. » (Document B) In other words, to avoid tyranny and achieve freedom, the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial) must be separated and diversified. The purpose of separation of powers is to divide the powers of government so that there is not just one central source of power. The three branches must be as distinct as possible to avoid falling into the hands of a single leader. There are also checks and balances between these three branches. Checks and balances are a system by which each branch oversees a medium of paper rather than the protection of a government. State governments protect their own states while the federal government protects the entire country. Additionally, the Great Compromise protected against tyranny by ensuring that large states would have no more power than small states. The Great Compromise was an agreement to create a two-chamber legislature consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate. A state's number of representatives in the House would be based on population, while each state's representation in the Senate would be equal. (Document D) So larger states, like New York, would not dominate smaller states, like Rhode Island. In conclusion, the Constitution protects against tyranny in several ways. The framers of the Constitution established a highly effective system of government that still protects America today..