How did Madison design the Constitution?
My approach to constitutional design was one of careful analysis and a deep study of historical precedents. I meticulously examined the successes and failures of various confederacies and republics, both ancient and modern, seeking to understand the principles that fostered stability and liberty, and those that led to dissolution or oppression. The Virginia Plan, for instance, represented an early effort to structure a national government with sufficient power. The resultant Constitution was a deliberate attempt to create a system of separated powers and checks and balances, recognizing that 'ambition must be made to counteract ambition' to prevent any one branch from becoming dominant.
Ask James Madison the follow-up →