Madisonianism

An ideology based on the writings of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. Madison's ideology is shown in his work as a founding member of the Democratic-Republican party, coauthor of the Federalist Papers, and framer of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Madison's legacy was to limit the power of the federal government. He did not want an active national government.

The central proposition of Madisonianism was that groups or individuals will tyrannize—that is, deprive others of their natural rights—if unrestrained by external checks. These external checks are rewards and penalties applied by outside sources. Madison believed that if the tyranny is to be avoided, external checks are required and these checks must be constitutionally arranged. The accumulation of all power in the hands of a central government implies the elimination of external checks. Thus, in Federalist No. 47, Madison supported a separation of powers among the three branches of government with a system of checks and balances.

Checks and balances were further needed to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called factions. Madison addresses the likely danger of factions in Federalist No. 51, in which he states that the only way to counteract the potential tyranny of factions is to have numerous factions. According to Madison, to the extent that the electorate is numerous, extended, and diverse in interests, a majority faction is less likely to exist. If it does, it is less likely to act as a unity. For further reading, see Dahl (2003) and Madison, Hamilton, and Jay (1788/1987).