James Madison Essays (Examples)

191+ documents containing “james madison”.
Sort By:
By Keywords
Reset Filters

Example Essays

Essay
James Madison at His Inaugural
Pages: 9 Words: 2695

The first is an arrogant pre-tension falsified by the contradictory opinions of all Rulers in all ages, and throughout the world: the second an unhallowed perversion of the means of salvation" (Boston).
Madison's document was successful in crushing Henry's measure, as opposition flooded the Virginia statehouse from every corner of the commonwealth, and the bill was voted down (Boston). Using this momentum, Madison pushed Jefferson's "Act for Establishing Religious Freedom" through the assembly, while Jefferson was serving in France as the U.S. ambassador (Boston). riting to Jefferson, Madison noted, "The enacting clauses passed without a single alteration, and I flatter myself have in this Country extinguished for ever the ambitious hope of making laws for the human kind" (Boston). It was not long before Madison had the opportunity to express these views to a national audience.

By 1787, it was obvious that the loose arrangement provided by the Articles of Confederation…...

mla

Works Cited

Boston, Rob. JAMES MADISON and CHURCH-STATE SEPARATION.

Church & State. March 01-2001. Retrieved September 22, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.

Felzenberg, Alvin S. "James Madison, the clearest thinker." The Christian Science

Monitor. March 16-2001. Retrieved September 22, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.

Essay
James Madison Separation of Church
Pages: 4 Words: 1384

For Madison, the Constitution provides for a distinction between what he calls the "authority of human laws and the "natural rights of Man," the latter including the right of religious choice.
In the same document, Madison opposes interference from the government in matters religious on the grounds of five reasons. The most significant of these is the third reason: "They seem to imply and certainly nourish the erroneous idea of a national religion." (Madison)3. According to Madison, the idea of a national religion is erroneous, because the Constitution allows for choice of religion.

Furthermore, Madison recognizes religion as an entirely different area of philosophy and study than that of politics. Politics have a specific philosophical ground from which it operates. Politicians, according to Madison's document, cannot by any means claim themselves as experts of religion, as little as religious officials can advise their flock on political matters. Madison promotes the separation…...

mla

Bibliography

Allison, Jim. 2009. Madison's "Who are the Best Keepers of the People's Liberties?" (1892). Separation of Church and State Homepage.  http://candst.tripod.com/tnppage/madlib.htm 

Brinkley, Alan. American History A Survey, 13th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2009.

Jefferson, Thomas. 1788. Letter to James Madison: 31 July. Rights.  http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch14s46.html 

Madison, James. Detached Memoranda. Separation of Church and State Homepage  http://candst.tripod.com/tnppage/detach.htm

Essay
James Madison A Commitment to
Pages: 2 Words: 580

Without this strong early advocate for religious freedom divorced from civic interference, modern Americans would enjoy far less personal freedom and individual liberty.
From the early days of the development of the British colonies into an independent nation, Madison was involved. As a student of history, government, and law, he took part in framing the Virginia Constitution in 1776 and held membership in the Virginia Assembly ("James Madison"). Madison served in the Continental Congress and engaged in frequent debates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia ("James Madison"). Together with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, Madison made a major contribution to ratifying the Constitution by writing the Federalist essays, which were in favor of the creation of a more powerful federal government to replace the ailing Confederation. The essays earned him the title of "Father of the Constitution," although he claimed the document was "the work of many heads and many…...

Essay
James Madison Recognized as He
Pages: 2 Words: 660


Each of these three elements of Madison's governmental plan served a different direct purpose but the combination served to ensure that government would provide order but would do so without growing out of control. The design of federalism would insure that local factions would not become too powerful while still permitting local issues a proper forum. The system of checks and balances would allow each branch of the government the authority to perform its proper function but limits it authority be virtue of the fact that the other two branches had the power to override such authority. In Madison's view this system would ensure that no one branch became too powerful. Finally, the separation of powers made it impossible for any one branch of the government to become too powerful. By dividing the power of government into three branches Madison guaranteed that power would not become too centralized.

Madison's contribution to…...

Essay
James Madison High Taks Report
Pages: 2 Words: 640

So too has this been true for male students as a whole population, as they have experienced ongoing declines in reader, social studies and science.
4. What are you doing as a school to improve the tested subject areas?

These groups will be subjected to greater scrutiny as the school seeks to offer some resolution to such declines. Especially in reading and science where assistance appears to be absolutely necessary, the department chair will use elective classes as an opportunity to remove students in need from class and offer them intense one-on-one instruction in writing, reading and vocabulary. This training diversion will occur across six weeks, with a test at the beginning and a retest at the end to measure and profile individual progress in subjects of the greatest need.

Among these subjects, science is clearly that subject area, with declines for the entire school, for all groups, and even for those…...

Essay
Niccolo Machiavelli and James Madison's
Pages: 8 Words: 2582

" (the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, edited by Gaillard Hunt and J.B. Scott New York, 1920, p. 329 as cited in Riemer 46) According to some historians, Madison's contribution to the consolidation of republicanism has been underrated: "Republican ideology - not economic interest, not social class, not sectional outlook - is the key to his political thought and actions. Theoretically and practically, he was always hostile to anti- and pseudo-republicanism. He was the most original, most understanding, and most effective champion of republicanism against its enemies. For this alone, Jeffersonian Democracy owes Madison a debt which has not been sufficiently acknowledged." (Ibid. 63)
James Madison was a firm believer in republicanism. However, he was always aware of the dangers besetting the American republican experiment. In the Virginia ratifying Convention he had declared: "From the first moment that my mind was capable of contemplating political subjects, I never, till…...

mla

Works Cited

Banning, Lance. The Sacred Fire of Liberty: James Madison and the Founding of the Federal Republic. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1995.

Mansfield, Jr., Harvey C. "Machiavelli's Political Science." The American Political Science Review 75. 2 (Jun., 1981): 293-305.

Matson, Cathy and Peter Onuf. "Toward a Republican Empire: Interest and Ideology in Revolutionary America." American Quarterly 37. 4 (1985): 496-531.

McCormick, John P. "Machiavelli against Republicanism: On the Cambridge School's Guicciardinian Moments." Political Theory 31. 5 (Oct., 2003): 615-643.

Essay
James Madison Known Historically S
Pages: 1 Words: 331

On the other hand, to ensure the direct participation of the people, each state would have representatives based on population. Further, Madison's plan adopted a checks and balances system to prevent tyranny by any one branch. (Wills).
Madison's reasoning for his passions are best summed up in his pro-ratification public relations campaign outlined in what is now known as the Federalist Papers. Perhaps the most famous of these essays is paper number ten, one actually penned by Madison. In it he sums up his belief by explaining how one large country with numerous interests and factions could support a republican form of government better than a small country, which would be more vulnerable to catering to special interests. (Madison, p. 57).

ibliography

Hamilton, Alexander, Madison, James, Jay, John. The Federalist Papers. Clinton Rositer, ed. New York: Signet, 2003.

Wikipedia. Hamilton, Alexander. www.wikipedia.com,2006.

Wills, Garry. James Madison. New York: American Presidents…...

mla

Bibliography

Hamilton, Alexander, Madison, James, Jay, John. The Federalist Papers. Clinton Rositer, ed. New York: Signet, 2003.

Wikipedia. Hamilton, Alexander. www.wikipedia.com,2006.

Wills, Garry. James Madison. New York: American Presidents Series, 2002.

Essay
James Madison of the Federalist Papers
Pages: 2 Words: 469

James MadisonPersonal BackgroundJames Madison was born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia. He grew up in a wealthy family, with his father, James Madison Sr., being the largest landowner in Orange County and a prominent planter. Madison was educated at home and at a boarding school before attending the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), where he completed his studies in 1771. He was known for his diligence and thoroughness in his studies (Cost, 2021).1787 Constitutional ConventionMadison played a crucial role in the events leading up to the Constitutional Convention, mainly through his work in the Virginia Assembly and his collaboration with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in writing the Federalist Papers. They were the ones who pushed hard for the adoption of the Constitution (National Archives, 2023). Madison also gave many speeches on the floor and pushed for a strong national government (National Archives). His work…...

mla

ReferencesBroadwater, J. (2019). Jefferson, Madison, and the Making of the Constitution. UNC Press Books.Cost, J. (2021). James Madison: America\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s First Politician. Basic Books.National Archives. (2023). Retrieved from   https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/founding-fathers-virginia#madison 

Essay
Madison's Dilemma What Was Madison's Dilemma and
Pages: 2 Words: 715

Madison's Dilemma
What was Madison's Dilemma and what was his solution to it?

James Madison's dilemma primarily hinges on the idea that "men are not angels," that if the contrary was true, then no form of government would be needed. However, because men are truly not angels, government is a necessary system. This brings about a dilemma to Madison, who views this roundabout thinking as a paradox: even with government, how does one prevent man from his non-angelic, corrupt behaviors? What separates government from the common man? Madison's solution, then, is a separation of powers, a "checks and balances" system in the judicial, legislative, and executive branch. In this manner, each branch limits powers of the other branches, and can also resist major influences within the separate branches.

What is the process of incorporation and what is its constitutional basis?

The incorporation doctrine -- or the "incorporation of the Bill of Rights" -- provided…...

Essay
James Monroe Early Years Born
Pages: 4 Words: 1172

As a Secretary of State was the next path to Monroe's political career with whom President Madison appointed him in 1811. Monroe tried to prevent the war with Great ritain but was unable to do so because of unavoidable reasons. Monroe became the intelligence of the war and later acquired the position Secretary of War while maintaining his responsibilities as a Secretary of State (History Central Online, 2000).
Monroe as a President of the United States

Monroe won the 1816 presidential election because of his anti-Federalist actions and with the support of President Madison. He had good strategic choices for his Cabinet members, favoring Southerners, Northerners, and Westerners for his Cabinet. However, due to a contradiction from Henry Clay, Monroe was not able to elect a Westerner in his Cabinet (iography of James Monroe).

Monroe's presidency was termed as an "era of good feeling" because of political talent and skills. However, everything…...

mla

Bibliography

Winslow, Chris. Legislators, Governor Honor Monroe.  http://www.monroefoundation.org/4.28.04honor.html 

Biography of James Monroe.

History Central Online.  http://www.historycentral.com/Bio/presidents/monroe.html 

James Monroe.

Essay
Madison Federalist 10
Pages: 5 Words: 1496

Federalist Relevance
Madison's Relevance Today: Modern Echoes of Federalist No.

The Federalist Papers penned by James Madison, John Jay, and others in defense of the Constitution during the hotly contested period of its ratification remain some of the most significant documents in American political history to this date. Detailing the arguments of some of the men who helped to frame and influence the composition of the foundational body of laws and structure of government of what is now the most powerful nation on Earth, reading the Federalist Papers is akin to reading the minds of those that have helped to shape global politics and political ideals. At the same time, the fact that so many of the arguments made in these documents are now foregone conclusions, and that the rights and reasons invoked (not to mention the language in which they are invoked) seem so antiquated can make the Federalist Papers appear…...

mla

Works Cited

Holdorf, William. The Fruad of Seat Belt Laws. Accessed 7 May 2012.  http://www.thefreemanonline.org/features/the-fraud-of-seat-belt-laws/ 

Madison, James. Federalist No. 10. 1787. Accessed 7 May 2012.  http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa10.htm 

McCormack, John. PPP Poll: 33% of Voters Say Gay Marriage Should be Legal, 57% Say It Should Be Illegal. Accessed 7 May 2012.  http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/ppp-poll-33-voters-say-gay-marriage-should-be-legal-57-say-it-should-be-illegal 

NARLA. (2012). Politicization: A New Era for Women's Bodies. 2012. Accessed 7 May 2012.  http://prochoicenc.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/politicization-a-new-era-for-womens-bodies/

Essay
Madison's Role in Trying to
Pages: 28 Words: 9173

In fact, during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Slonim notes that the need for a bill of rights was not even a topic of discussion until Virginian delegate George Mason raised the issue just several days before the Convention was scheduled to rise on September 17; Mason suggested that a bill of rights "would give great quiet to the people." Following this assertion, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts moved that the Convention add a bill of rights to the Constitution and Mason seconded his motion to no avail: "The Convention unanimously rejected the proposal by a vote of 10 to 0, with one state absent. Failure to heed Mason's counsel was to plague the Federalists throughout the ratification campaign" (emphasis added).
The first major confrontation concerning the ratification of the Constitution involving the need for a bill of rights occurred in Pennsylvania several weeks after the close of the Constitutional Convention; at…...

mla

Bibliography

Banning, Lance. The Sacred Fire of Liberty: James Madison and the Founding of the Federal Republic. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1995.

Binkley, Wilfred E. And Malcolm C Moos. A Grammar of American Politics: The National Government. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1949.

Bernhard, Virginia, David Burner and Elizabeth Fox-Genovese. A College History of the United States, St. James: Brandywine Press, 1991.

Brant, Irving. The Bill of Rights: Its Origin and Meaning. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1965.

Essay
Madison Excerpts Madison Refers to
Pages: 3 Words: 924

The innate need to not let any person or any entity overpower the rights that have been given will allow for a balance of power that will in the end work to produce a functioning government.
In excerpt 5, as posited by Madison, he states that the reason why a stable and structured government is necessary in the first place is because men are always hungry for more power. When given just a little bit of governance over a bigger crowd of people, they will naturally want more, as they see their way as being the right way, and the only way in which problems could be solved. But because men are inclined to want aspects to turn out in ways where their best interests are in mind and where they come out best in the end, a necessary system needs to be implemented to make sure that one branch…...

mla

References:

Kelman, Steven. American Government. Dallas, TX: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. 2003. Print.

Sobel, Syl. How the U.S. Government Works. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series. 1999. Print.

Heineman, Robert et al. American Government. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 1995. Print.

Essay
Dolley Madison 1768 -- 1849 One of
Pages: 4 Words: 1271

Dolley Madison (1768 -- 1849), one of the most renowned American first ladies, was President James Madison's wife. She was born in North Carolina and spent her life's early years in Virginia in a very simple environment. In 1790, she married John Todd but he died only after three years due to the yellow fever epidemic. In 1794, Dolley married Madison and became the fourth first lady of the United States of America.1 In the subsequent years, Dolley proved herself as a charming, tactful and graceful official White House hostess for both President Jefferson and President Madison. It won't be incorrect to state that her guts, courageousness and the manner with which she conducted herself shaped the role of first lady in the Unites States of America forever.
When Madison took the office in 1809, Dolley took up her role as the first lady very seriously and concentrated on the decoration…...

mla

References

Allgor, C. "The Politics of Love." Humanities 31 1 (2010): 14-53.

"Madison, Dolley from The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.." Questia.   (accessed September 9, 2013).http://www.questia.com/read/1E1-MadisonD/madison-dolley 

McDevitt, T. "Dolley Madison: The Problem of National Unity." Library Journal 137 17, no. 82 (2012).

Essay
Presidential Character by James Barber
Pages: 5 Words: 1550

He seems to draw easy causal connections between policy and personality that deny the exterior circumstances of history. For example, he suggests that Hoover's rigid personality made him unable to accept changes in classical economic theory during the beginning of the Great Depression, and to adopt a more Keynesian approach. Barber asserts that it was not the conventional wisdom of the time that hampered Hoover as much as his own character, despite the fact that few people really could assuredly state they had the 'answer' to the financial crisis at that time. The adaptive-negative aspects of Johnson's personality made that president similarly resistant to the idea of pulling out of Vietnam, and his egoism made him unwilling to be seen as 'losing' the war -- but what about the pressures of the Cold War during that era? Historians also might find some objection to Barber's psychoanalyzing so many major…...

Q/A
How did the ideologies of Federalists and Anti-Federalists shape the American constitution?
Words: 307

The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were two opposing political groups in early American history who held contrasting views on the structure and powers of the newly proposed Constitution. This essay will compare and contrast the beliefs and arguments of the Federalists, who supported a stronger central government, with those of the Anti-Federalists, who advocated for a more decentralized system of government. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, believed in a strong central government that could effectively manage the affairs of the nation. They argued that a powerful central authority was necessary to maintain order, secure liberty, and....

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now