American founding father who provided the blueprint for the US constitution at the 1787 constitutional convention in Philadelphia. He devised the Article V amendment mechanism as an alternative to Thomas Jefferson's preference for constitutional conventions every 19 years.
Madison initially argued that the constitution's chief virtue was its potential for defeating factions. He contended that spreading authority across the 13 states would prevent factious leaders from spreading "a general conflagration". His anti-faction arguments helped the pro-constitution Federalist coalition win the ratification debate.
However, after growing alarmed at Alexander Hamilton's ambitions for a strong central state, Madison joined Jefferson's Republican faction — conceding that his earlier dream of a republic of civic virtue had been naive. "In every political society, parties are unavoidable," he now declared. "Different interests and parties arise out of the nature of things, and the great art of politicians lies in making them checks and balances to each other."
Put not your trust in money, but put your money in trust.