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KesslynWard
APEuropeanHistory
SummerAssignment
September4
ThePrince
Thebook
thePrincewaswrittenfortheLorenzode'MediciwholaterruledFlorencein
the16thcentury.SomemayfindMachiavellispiecetobeamoralyetittrulydepictsthe
deplorabletruthsaboutthemonarchystylegovernmentofFlorence.Forexample,thelimitation
ofpowerandhowtodealwithit,thecorrelationbetweenthewaygovernmentworksin16th
centuryhasgreatlycometobesimilartotheUnitedStatesdemocracy.Although,manythings
havebeenalteredfromdifferenttimeperiods,butthefundamentalsremainthesame.
Machiavellicontinuestobelookeduponandcomparedtothewaygovernmentstypicallyworks
behindthescenes.Muchoftheworkdoneinordertostayinpowerisdonemoreforselfgain

andlessforwhatisrightforthepeoplenomatterifitisthe16thcenturyorthe21stcentury.
ThePrincealsodemonstratesmanydifferencesbetweenmoderndayand16thcentury
Florence.ThetypeofgovernmentdemonstratedinMachiavellis,

thePrinceisknownasa
monarchy.Amonarchyiswhenakingoraqueenreignsoveranareaofland.However,inthe
UnitedStatesthegovernmentisafederalrepublicconsistingofstateswherepowerisdivided.
Themonarchyrepresentedin

thePrinceisseparatedintotwostates,Republicsand
Principalities.TheUnitedStatesgovernmentlimitsthepowergiventothepresident,whereasin
Machiavellisexampleaprincecontrolsallthepower.Aprincemustmakehimselfthecentral
defendertohispowerfulneighborandweakentheirpower.Forexampleinthisquoteitstates,

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...theywillbeconsideredasforcedfromyou,andnoonewillbeunderanyobligationtoyoufor
them.(Machiavelli42)Thebalanceofpowerhoweverdiffersfromtimeperiod.Duetochecks
andbalancesintheUnitedStates,thepowerofthepresidentislimitedaswellasthepowerof
thestateislimitedbytheconstitution.Machiavellihoweveronlycaresaboutultimatepowerand
hasnoregulationsonthisutility.Inadditiontothetextitstates,Treatedwellorcrushed,
Avengehimselfoflighterinjuriesthatistobedonetoasmanoughttobesuchkindthatone
doesnotstandinfearofrevenge.(Machiavelli15)Aprincemustchoosewhetherornothe
shouldtreatacquaintanceswellortocrushthem.Iftheyarecrushedthenaprincemustinflict
enoughpainthattheadversarywouldnotattempttoseekrevenge.PoliticiansinAmericatreat
theirvoterswellandpromisethemoutlandishlythingsthattheywouldstruggletomakegood.
Thisismostlybecausethatcreatesthegreatestchancesforapoliticiantobeelectedtoaposition.
Althoughintheliteralsensethereacquaintancesarenotcrushedbuttheycouldbedeceived,
whichoccursalltoofteninpresentday.
ThePrinceisaboutthebehindthescenesworkthatisdonetoachieveandmaintain
power.Inthetextitstates,Everyoneseeswhatyouappeartobe,fewreallyknowwhatyou
are.(Machiavelli86)Peopleseewhatyouletthemsee,andveryfewcanfigureouttheperson
youtrulyare.Forexample,apoliticianwillactacertainwayinordertogainapprovaland
eventuallyholdpower,butinrealitythispersoncouldbedeceivingthepubliconhisorher
ideas.Thispersonmaybeoutforpersonalgainandnotgainforthepartyorthepublic.In
addition,...natureofthepeopleisvariable,andwhilstitiseasytopersuadethem,itisdifficult
tofixtheminthatpersuasion.(Machiavelli25)Itwouldseemthathumannaturemakesitsimple
topersuadepeopleaboutwrongfulideasbutitisdifficulttokeeptheirmindsetonthisidea.An

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exampleofthiswouldbeDonaldTrumpsmanydifferentstancesonthingslikeimmigrationand
taxes.Trump,likemanypoliticians,havechangedtheirpositionduemostlytobeingincorrect.
Anothersimilarityisthatingovernmentmanyofthebattlesarewonbydeception.Inadditionto
thetextitstates,...hisdeceitsalwayssucceededaccordingtohiswishes,becausehewell
understoodthissideofmankind(Machiavelli85)Manypoliticiansaremoretalkthanaction.
Forexample,whenAmericansinvadedIraqunderthefalseaccusationsthatIraqwasresponsible
for9/11andforholdingchemicalweapons.Duetoincorrectallegations,Americanswent
aimlesslyintoIraqandendedupdestroyingvillages.Americanmediaconvincedeveryday
citizenstospendtheirtaxpayermoneyinordertofundthemilitary.Thisissomethingthatwe
continuetodo,tomaketheAmericanslooklikethesuperheroesandtherestoftheworldlike
villainsinordertoputourselvesinapositionofpowertotheworld.ThePrincemakesitclear
thatmuchofthebattleisconvincingpeopletobelievesomethinganddeceivingtheminorderto
getsomething,liketheIraqWar.ThesimilaritiesbetweenpresentdayandthePrince,although
didnottakeplaceinthesametimeperiodorsametypeofgovernmentstillcontinuestoshowthe
truthaboutbothmonarchygovernmentsandotherformsofgovernmentgovernmentsaroundthe
world.
ThePrinceexplainshowtohandlepowezrandkeepit,inmuchcomparisontotheUnited
Statesgovernment.TheUnitedStatesgreatlyresemblesthedeceivingaspectofthegovernment
astheoneindescribedinthePrince.Althoughthetimeperiodcausesmanycharacteristicsto
differ,thereareplentyofsimilaritiesaswellasdifferences.Thedivisionofpowerforexample
hasalteredduetoanyrevoltsforequalpower.Machavelliremainsrelevantduetohis
remarkablycapturingoftheessenceofgovernment.

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WorkCited
Machiavelli,Niccol,W.K.Marriott,NelleFuller,andThomasHobbes.ThePrince.Chicago:
EncyclopdiaBritannica,1955.Print.