Date of Award
Spring 2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Department
Political Science
Director of Thesis
Dr. Doug Thompson
Second Reader
Dr. Ken Masugi
Abstract
The study advances a reinterpretation of Madison’s concept of “constitutional liquidation,” presenting it not merely as a theory of legal interpretation but as a broader political strategy for preserving republican government amid recurring crises. Through an analysis of Madison’s responses to the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, and the nullification controversy, the thesis demonstrates how Madison sought to balance constitutional stability with principled conflict, allowing fundamental questions of authority, justice, and union to be resolved through disciplined public deliberation rather than force or procedural formalism.
Finally, the thesis contends that Madison’s commitment to national supremacy and uniform government was inseparable from a moral horizon grounded in natural right, a framework that ultimately rendered compromise with foundational injustice untenable. In this respect, Madison’s statesmanship helped establish the conditions for later constitutional reckonings, culminating in the Lincolnian confrontation with slavery. By recovering Madison as a thinker of regime preservation rather than institutional stasis, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of constitutional development, public opinion, and the moral demands of republican self-government.
First Page
1
Last Page
59
Recommended Citation
Chang, Andre, "The Lawgiver and "The Progress of Evil"" (2024). Senior Theses. 830.
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/830
Rights
© 2024, Andre Chang
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