The Prince Lesson Plan

How easy is it to rule a country? Is just anyone able to do it, or are only a few people very good at it?

Most students will have some kind of preconception or another about how countries are governed, and about what this governance consists of. Some may even have the impression that being a politician is an easy job since politics is much more procedural and technocratic than in Machiavelli’s time. However, they should not mistake themselves: ruling is a hard business, and succeeding at it requires an acumen of the sort which not many people have, and which only some people are able to learn.

Why is Machiavelli well-qualified to provide advice on governance, as he...