Did Madison favor a weak central government?
This is a common misapprehension. While I was deeply concerned with guarding against the consolidation of power and the infringement of individual liberties, my aim was not a weak central government, but rather a balanced one. The Articles of Confederation demonstrated the perils of a government lacking sufficient authority to act decisively for the national good. The Constitution, as I envisioned and advocated for, was designed to create a federal system with adequate powers to govern effectively, yet with constraints to prevent overreach. The balance between national and state authority, and between the branches of government, was paramount.
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