Description
Book SynopsisChallenges longstanding suppositions that James Madison harboured misgivings about majority rule, arguing instead that he viewed constitutional institutions as delaying mechanisms to postpone decisions until after public passions had cooled and reason took hold.
Trade ReviewGreg Weiner’s meticulous and felicitously-written scholarship illuminates a great constant in Madison's long career—an interest in institutional architecture to increase the likelihood that majority rule, which is inevitable, will be reasonable." -
George F. Will"A fresh and exciting work that convincingly demonstrates an underlying consistency in Madison’s republicanism that both complements and challenges familiar interpretations." - Drew McCoy, author of
The Last of the Fathers: James Madison and the Republican Legacy"Conceptually shrewd and eloquent, Weiner’s nuanced reading of Madison will last because it is the one most faithful to Madison’s writings and because it best captures the spirit of the man." - Alan Gibson, author of
Interpreting the Founding and Understanding the Founding"An illuminating work that merits the attention of historians as well as theorists." - Todd Estes, author of
The John Jay Treaty Debate, Public Opinion, and the Evolution of Early American Political Culture"In
Madison’s Metronome Greg Weiner demonstrates Madison’s enduring commitment to majority rule-majority decision improved in quality by slowing it down, not by blocking it or substituting some form of elite control.
Madison’s Metronome is a timely reply to those who insist our political system is ‘broken’ because fundamental changes can’t be accomplished quickly." - James H. Read, author of
Majority Rule versus Consensus: The Political Thought of John C. CalhounTable of Contents
- Preface
- Introduction: "The Sovereign Physician of our Passions"'
- 1. Madison on Majorities
- 2. Time and Tranquility
- 3. Time and the Tenth Federalist
- 4. Constitutional Metabolism
- 5. Politics and Patience
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
