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How Did James Madison Influence The Role Of Government

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One of the greatest purveyors of our United States constitution was James Madison. By many he is regarded as the father of our constitution and his ideals about the nature of man helped shape the role of government, as well as the role of its citizens. Madison was the U.S. Secretary of State from 1801 to 1809 as well as our nation’s president from 1809 until 1817. Madison felt as though his generation, as well as the fellow founders, could revive popular government from its past blunders and that ultimate success was in the form of a more self-governed legislative body. During 1787 and 1788 Madison co-authored, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, a commentary on the principles of the constitution called the Federalist Papers. Being …show more content…

Madison described factions as a number of citizens “united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.”[1] In a society of majority rule minority factions are not seen as constitutionally dangerous, due to them lacking the means the legally acquire power. However, if a faction is deemed the majority then the very essence of freedom and government are threatened. Madison argued that factions are a product of prejudice and self- interests that stem from the nature of man. Madison believed that the key to preventing an unjust majority was a governing body that reflected the principle of representation for a very large and diverse base of constituents. Representation prevents unjust views and special interests from guiding and establishing public decisions. The role of the representative is also to listen to their body of constituents and overall public interests to promote a consensus founded on the good of the public. Madison believed that true representation is a two way line of communication between the representative and the represented, and from that an overall consensus can be reached. Madison’s ideas of representation are still very much a part of our government today, as seen in the very structure of our modern day legislative bodies from district to state as

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