James Madison: the Challenge of History and Human Nature for the Ordinary Politician

Authors

  • Luis Gonzalo Díez Álvarez

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18042/cepc/rep.174.02

Keywords:

James Madison, politicians, political power, political leadership, social change, political economy.

Abstract

This article has two objectives: first, to clarify the meaning of Madison’s concept of “ordinary politician” as opposed to the rationalist delusions of a philosophical legislator”; and second, to analyze the moral and historical meaning of his political thought. The paper focuses on Madison the person, who not only wrote some of the fundamental articles of The Federalist, but also as someone who participated with Jefferson in a political and media campaign against Treasury Secretary Hamilton’s idea of government and society. This anti-Hamilton Madison became aware that the fear of a majority faction — dominant in The Federalist — should be combined with distrust of an elitist tyranny based on a shadowy alliance between political and economic powers.