Madisonian Model

The Madisonian Model a 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 in which the powers of the government are separated into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. This came about because the delegates saw the need to structure the government in such a way to prevent the imposition of tyranny by either majority or by a minority. James Madison proposed this governmental scheme so that one branch would not accumulate enough power to influence the others (or, in the worst case, become dominant). The separation of powers was by function and also by personnel; this is a result of Congress passing laws, the president enforcing laws, and the courts interpreting the laws. The three branches of government will be independent from each other, yet the three will have to cooperate to govern. In the Federalist Paper No. 51, Madison illustrated his beliefs on how a balance in the power was necessary for a government to exist.

These ideas from Madison on the separation of powers along with his theory of checks and balances were not new. In 1748, French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu described these concepts in his book The Spirit of the Laws. Here Montesquieu explained how these checks on powers were efficient in preventing tyranny.