Madisonian Model
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The Madisonian Model is a fundamental philosophy of Presidential conduct that adheres primarily to the denoted powers of the executive branch in the U.S. Constitution. First exhibited by James Madison, the model is a philosophy of the use of the presidential powers.
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[edit] Presidential Philosophy
In the Madisonian Model, the president should restrict himself/herself to the denoted powers of his office as shown in the United States Constitution. These powers include:
- The Nomination of Supreme Court Judges
- Signing of Legislation into Law
- Negotiation of Treaties
- Commander in Chief of US Troops
[edit] Madisonian Presidents
Though past Madisonian Presidents include James Madison himself, Martin Van Buren, Andrew Johnson, and William Howard Taft, other present day presidents such as Jimmy Carter or George H. W. Bush are also considered to be Madisonian Presidents.
[edit] Strength of Madisonian Presidents
It is argued by some Political Scientists that Madisonian Presidents are thought to be weak presidents in the hindsight of their terms. Often considered passive or reactive in their actions, Madisonian Presidents are usually popular in their administrative work, but not particularly popular in their foreign policy or social reforms.
During James Madison's term for example, James Madison stirred the country to war with the British over the Impressment of American merchant sailors into the British Navy. Madison did not, however, spend enough money developing the armed forces, leading to the War of 1812, considered by many historians to be one of the greatest presidential mistakes of all time (see James Madison for more detailed information).
Other Madisonian Presidents such as George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were considered only to be reactive presidents and therefore less attractive during re-election campaigns when compared to more Jeffersonian Presidents but are not considered by the majority of historians to be failures in office.
