Constitutional Conversations: James Madison and American Constitutionalism

James Madison and American Constitutionalism, by Professor Jack N. Rakove, William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies, Stanford University. Professor Rakove analyzes James Madison’s impact on American constitutional thinking. Drawing upon his early political experiences, Madison shaped the deliberations at the Constitutional Convention. He came to appreciate the political efficacy of a Bill of Rights and consistently sought to balance state and federal power. Professor Rakove notes that Madison lived long enough to hear more questions raised about the Constitution and to anticipate the dissolution of the union he created.