James Madison was kind of a big deal

I always thought James Madison was just some tiny school in Virginia that showed up in my March Madness bracket every few years-usually next to a number like 14. I also vaguely knew he did something important that may or may not have warranted getting his face on some money.

It turns out James Madison was kind of a big deal, despite the fact that he was only 5'4", 100 pounds. He was the fourth president, considered to be "the father of the constitution", and a big time Federalist.

Following the drafting of the Constitution, the states had to vote on whether or not to ratify it. The Anti-Federalists emerged and wrote a series of essays arguing that the Constitution needed some changes first, especially a bill of rights. They came up with a great name for their papers, the Anti-Federalist papers.

In response the Federalists published their papers to defend the Constitution as currently constructed.

How much these guys actually disagreed I don't know. The Constitution was ratified, but they immediately added a bill of rights. I'm calling it a draw for now.

Why is this important to The Boom? The Constitution comprises the most basic law of the United States. The Federalist Papers give us insight into the intent of the law, which can be just as important as the letter of the law. These writings are still used, albeit controversially, in Supreme Court rulings where intent becomes a major point of debate.

Federalist Paper No. 10 - James Madison

This paper got me fired up about being an American. I even did a fist pump right there in my living room. Madison alludes to our organization of government and explains how it gives us the best chance for true functional liberty.

Madison argues that faction among individuals and groups is actually a wonderful thing. Disagreement and conflict are symptoms of freedom. Therefore we should not try to eliminate faction. However, we can't just let everyone do what they want either. In a direct democracy the minority is very likely to be trampled upon.

The vision of America was that it would find the sweet spot between tyranny and anarchy. The federalist proposal was a strong central government in which power is properly checked and balanced.

And as it turns out Madison did get his face on some money. Sort of. You know how UNC retires way too many jerseys? Ladies and gentlemen, the $5000 bill... http://ragemanchoo.tripod.com/5000dollar_1934_FedReserveNote.jpg