The Prince Lesson Plan

Consider the list of virtues and vices which Machiavelli lists at the beginning of this section. To what extent do we also hold leaders to these same standards today, and why?

Machiavelli’s list presents a fairly exhaustive list of core attributes which people today desire (or don’t desire) in political leaders. However, as some students may rightly point out, in the United States power derives from the common citizenry, and politicians must seek power by representing and establishing a rapport with them. As such, American politicians have also sometimes been expected to be empathetic, down-to-earth, humble, responsible, and so on.

In modern times, many moral...