James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751–June 28, 1836) was an American politician and the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817), and on of the founding fathers of the United States. Considered to be the “Father of the Constitution,” he was the principal author of the document.

 In 1788, he wrote over a third of the Federalist Papers, still the most influential commentary on the Constitution. As a leader in the first Congress, he drafted many basic laws and was responsible for the first ten amendments to the Constitution (said to be based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights), and thus is also known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights.” As a political theorist, Madison's most distinctive belief was that the new republic needed checks and balances to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called factions. He believed very strongly that the new nation should fight against aristocracy and corruption and was deeply committed to creating mechanisms that would ensure republicanism in the United States.