4th President · 1809–1817 · Democratic-Republican
James Madison
Stumbled into the War of 1812 and watched Washington burn, but came out of it with a new national confidence, the protective Tariff of 1816 and a second national bank.
OverallBGPA 2.86
The grades
- SovereigntyDid they put American interests first and keep decisions in American hands?B
- HemisphereDid they guard the Americas against rival powers and threats?B
- RestraintDid they keep the country out of wars of choice that weakened it?B-
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?C+
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?A-
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?B-
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?B-
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?B+
- CompetenceWere they capable, honest and effective in office?C+
On the axes
MarketEconomyPopulist
Free tradeTradeProtectionist
RestraintForeign policyInterventionist
CosmopolitanNationNational
Dark dot: James Madison. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 82%.