Compare And Contrast Madison And Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson, in his letter to Madison from Paris in 1787, is open to this Constitutional framing: “I like the organization of the government into Legislative, Judiciary & Executive. I like the power given the Legislature to levy taxes, and for that reason solely approve of the greater house being chosen by the people directly. For tho' I think a house chosen by them will be very illy qualified to legislate for the Union, for foreign nations etc. Yet this evil does not weigh against the good of preserving inviolate the fundamental principle that the people are not to be taxed but by representatives chosen immediately by themselves.” (167) Where Jefferson differs from Madison and Adams is that Jefferson’s populism is much more direct in nature:

And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take

We may be a nation of populists, but we are not a populist nation. The populism that Jefferson championed throughout his life ended in catastrophe – as America has matured, we have moved almost entirely away from his principles. In many ways, the composition of the United States government is itself a check on its people. The people, of course, are responsible for its composition, but not its laws. Adams and Madison knew the dangers of populism could erode liberty and ultimately placed these fundamental barriers upon the people to limit the power of populism and to maintain the Constitution. It was, and remains, an incredibly forward thinking document, one that countries throughout the world have tried to