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. The Madisonian model is a structure of government, which the powers of the government are separated into three branches. These three branches are executive, legislative, and judicial. [1] This came about, because the delegates worried about the need to structure the government in such a way to prevent the imposition of tyranny by either majority or by a minority.[1] James Madison proposed this governmental scheme, so that one branch would not accumulate enough power that would cause that branch to dominate the others.[1] The separation of powers was by function and also by personnel; this is a result of, Congress passing laws, the president enforcing, along with administering laws, and in individual circumstances, the courts interpreting the laws.[1] The three branches of government will be independent from each other, yet the three will have to cooperate together to govern.[1] Madison illustrated his beliefs on how it was necessary for there to be a balance in the power of government in The Federalist Paper No. 51.[1] These ideas from Madison on separation of powers, in addition to, checks and balances, were not new.[1] In 1748, French philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu, described these concepts in his book called The Spirit of the Laws.[1] Here Montesquieu explained how these checks on powers were efficient in preventing tyranny.[1]
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In the Madisonian Model, the president should restrict himself to the denoted powers of his office as shown in the United States Constitution. These powers include:
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.
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 and are considered by the majority of historians to be failures in office.