Madison vs. Mason

We the People

National Constitution Center

News, News Commentary, History

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2019

⏱️ 61 minutes

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Summary

James Madison and George Mason, both Virginian Founding Fathers, diverged on some of the biggest debates of the Constitutional Convention—including the proper distribution of power between national and local government, the future of the slave trade, and whether or not the Constitution should have a Bill of Rights. Exploring these debates and their impact on the Constitution – scholars Colleen Sheehan and Jeff Broadwater join host Jeffrey Rosen. They dive into the core of the constitutional visions and ideas of Madison and Mason. Next Tuesday, September 17th, is Constitution Day – the anniversary of the signing of our constitution back in 1787. To learn more about the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Day programming, including the launch of our upgraded Interactive Constitution, visit constitutioncenter.org/learn. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome
0:07.5	to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.
0:11.0	The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit chartered by Congress
0:15.8	to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.
0:21.0	September 17th is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
0:28.5	In celebration of Constitution Day, we devote this episode of We the People, to profiles of two of the most
0:36.0	influential figures in shaping the Constitution, James Madison and George Mason.
0:41.8	If you had to pick two figures to exemplify the fundamental debates over the Constitution
0:48.0	and whether or not we should have a bill of rights
0:51.0	Madison and Mason seemed like a good place to start, and we have convened two of America's
0:56.0	leading scholars on Madison and Mason to help us understand whose constitutional legacy and
1:02.2	ideas were most influential and how they differed and how they
1:06.8	compliment each other.
1:08.4	Colleen Sheehan is visiting scholar at the University of Colorado Boulder and professor of
1:12.4	political science at the L of Colorado Boulder and Professor of Political Science at the
1:13.6	Lenova University. Professor Sheehan is the author of many books including
1:17.3	the superb James Madison and the spirit of Republican self-government which I
1:21.6	recommend so strongly to We The People
1:23.2	listeners, and the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to the Federalist, co-edited with
1:27.9	Jack Rakoff. Professor Sheehan is a member of the National Constitution Center's
1:31.6	Madisonian Constitution for All Commission
1:34.3	and has written about Madison in the media in a soon to be published and very illuminating
	...

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