The below is an excerpt from Federalist No. 9, para. 3 by Alexander Hamilton--- The science of politics, however, like most other sciences, has received great improvement. The efficacy of various principles is now well understood, which were either not known at all, or imperfectly known to the ancients. The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election: these are wholly new discoveries, or have made their principal progress towards perfection in modern times. They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided. ------ Proportional representation methods for legislative bodies and single winner methods for executive and judicial elections were not available in 1787-1788 when Hamilton wrote the above. The "progress towards perfection" continues.
