Citing specific evidence from Machiavelli’s The Prince (not from the textbook), identify, and briefly explain, the qualities of the ideal political leader.

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The Qualities of the Ideal Political Leader
The society today has advanced in several aspects in comparison with the ancient days. However, politics has always played vital roles in revealing ideal leaders with qualities that stand the test of time as evident from the provisions that Machiavelli put forth. According to Machiavelli, an ideal political leader must bear qualities that help in upholding control. For instance, he identifies that an ideal political leader should be the one who is conscious about military knowledge, parsimony, and liberality.
Among the qualities that Machiavelli has discovered, military knowledge is of immense importance. This is because a political leader with military knowledge will be able to stand his or her ground, thereby defending his people against external aggression and creating limited chances for their subjects to question their aptitude to rule over them. In addition, an ideal political leader is the one who shows and upholds parsimony, or extreme care and prudence in spending money.
According to Machiavelli, a political leader who exhibits parsimony is flexible in nature and can fit in various circumstances, however harsh or welcoming they might be in the society. Moreover, the ideal political leader is never complete without revealing their liberal nature. Concerning liberality, the leader must be adroit in understanding his subjects, hide his wrath, and replace it with justice. This is the only way to make his subjects love him.

A leader who is dishonest, and who tells his subjects only that which they want to hear, does not qualify as an ideal political leader. In conclusion, the discussion above presents and ideal political leader is one that embraces liberality and parsimony. They must also possess military knowledge if they are to qualify as ideal political leaders.