Madison's Metronome: American Politics and the Tempo of Majority Rule

Within the wake of nationwide crises and sharp shifts within the voters, new members of Congress march off to Washington filled with intense idealism and the need for immediate change—however usually missing in any sense of proportion or endurance. This drive for immediate political gratification involved one of many key Founders, James Madison, who accepted the inevitability of majority rule however fearful that an infected majority may not rule moderately.

Greg Weiner challenges the traditional notion that Madison was wary of majority rule. Instead, Weiner asserts that Madison viewed constitutional structures as tools to delay decisions until public passions subsided and reason prevailed. Essentially, Madison believed that the Constitution served as a metronome, regulating the pace of American politics.

Weiner refers to this implicit doctrine as "temporal republicanism" to highlight its compatibility with, yet distinction from, other interpretations of the Founders' ideals. Similar to civic republicanism, the "temporal" concept embodies values such as public-spiritedness and respect for others' rights, which go beyond mere majority rule. Through an exploration of Madison's extensive career, Weiner reveals that Madison's understanding of internal constitutional checks and his renowned "extended republic" argument served as mechanisms to enhance majority rule by slowing it down rather than obstructing it. Changes in Madison's perspective on majority rule were largely influenced by his evolving views on impulsive behavior, whether from abusive majorities in the 1780s, the Adams administration in the 1790s, or the nullifiers in the 1820s. Despite these shifts, there is no evidence that Madison's fundamental beliefs regarding majority rule or the fleeting nature of passions ever wavered.

In Madison's time, endurance was crucial due to slow communication and travel. Nowadays, with the Internet, 24-hour news, and instant gratification politics, cultivating endurance is even harder. While many modern politicians prioritize impatience over constitutional principles, Madison's Metronome suggests that this prominent figure from American history would likely approach this marriage cautiously.