Niccolo Machiavelli's The Qualities Of The Prince

In virtually every Western nation, people elect other people to play crucial roles for our countries. These crucial roles can include creating new laws and even starting a war with another country if it was necessary. In the past, though, leaders such as, Niccolo Machiavelli ran many areas. In “The Qualities of the Prince,” Machiavelli defines and defends those qualities, chief among them an awareness of the state he rules and the potential enemies that surround him. When ruling, Machiavelli warns his Prince not to misuse his power, and to have high confidence in himself. While Machiavelli’s sixteenth-century Italian Prince might have profited from such qualities, would they help a modern day politician win a presidential election in the U.S.? According to Machiavelli, a good leader “must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war, its institutions, and its discipline” (221). Wars can harm the country if you are not prepared for the worst or if you are unaware of others plans around you. Such can be seen in the United States, because the president is the Commander and Chief of the armed forces. For example, the President of the United States is the one that says yes or no to the start of a war. When someone is the leader or the one in

If a prince wants to maintain a good reputation Machiavelli states that, “he must not neglect any means of lavish display,” and this excess will “begin to make him hateful to his subjects” (225). With the way social media spreads gossip around today, presidential candidates have to be careful with the things they say and do. Machiavelli is stating that the act of being too generous towards others can affect the way others view you. This can then affect the results of a presidential election between leaders. Having a good reputation can show the voters of the election who would be a good