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'''James Madison''' (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836), an American statesman, political theorist, party leader and fourth president of the [[United States]] of America (1809–1817), was one of the most influential [[Founding Fathers]] of the United States. Misnamed the "Father of the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]]" -- he had little influence on the document -- Madison took the most thorough notes during the [[Constitutional Convention]] and wrote many of the [[Federalist Papers]] to promote its ratification, including its influential [[Federalist No. 10]].  

'''James Madison''' (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836), an American statesman, political theorist, party leader and fourth president of the [[United States]] of America (1809–1817), was one of the most influential [[Founding Fathers]] of the United States. Misnamed the "Father of the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]]" -- he had little influence on the document -- Madison took the most thorough notes during the [[Constitutional Convention]] and wrote many of the [[Federalist Papers]] to promote its ratification, including its influential [[Federalist No. 10]].  Bookish and intellectual, Madison arrived to the Constitutional Convention many days early to pour over what European philosophers' writings, and then developed the "Virginia Plan" for a new bicameral legislature based on population, which the delegates from other states then rejected after the convention began.

As a leader in the first Congresses, he drafted many basic laws and was responsible for the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and thus is also known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights."  As a political theorist, Madison advanced the theory of [[republicanism]]. Madison's most distinctive belief was that the new republic needed checks and balances to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called ''factions.''<ref>Robert Alan Dahl, "Madisonian Democracy," in Dahl, et al., eds. ''The Democracy Sourcebook'' (MIT Press, 2003), pp. 207-16.</ref> He believed very strongly that the new nation should fight against aristocracy and corruption (especially of British origin), and was deeply committed to creating mechanisms that would ensure [[republicanism]] in the United States.<ref>Banning, 1995; Kernell, 2003; Riemer, 1954.</ref>

As a leader in the first Congresses, he drafted many basic laws and was responsible for the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and thus is also known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights."  As a political theorist, Madison advanced the theory of [[republicanism]]. Madison's most distinctive belief was that the new republic needed checks and balances to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called ''factions.''<ref>Robert Alan Dahl, "Madisonian Democracy," in Dahl, et al., eds. ''The Democracy Sourcebook'' (MIT Press, 2003), pp. 207-16.</ref> He believed very strongly that the new nation should fight against aristocracy and corruption (especially of British origin), and was deeply committed to creating mechanisms that would ensure [[republicanism]] in the United States.<ref>Banning, 1995; Kernell, 2003; Riemer, 1954.</ref>