Guardians of Liberty: James Madison’s Federalist Contributions

According to classical republican ideology, the lifeblood of republics was freedom, ensured through citizenship and individual virtue; their great enemy, tyrannical factionalism. In the Federalist Papers, it was James Madison who repeatedly emphasized the need for institutional republicanism, in which powers were shared between the newly formed federal government and the states. This lecture will explore how Madison’s greatest Federalist contribution changes the meaning of republicanism, as well as some possible consequences of his understanding of it for our time.

Jonathan O'Hara is an associate professor of Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University. He specializes in political philosophy and teaches Constitutional Law and History. He lives in Orange, Connecticut with his wife, son, and Standard Poodle.

This event is in conjunction with DAR. Image credit: Constitutional Convention, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons