Abstract

Though the words 'General Welfare' appear only twice in the U.S. Constitution, James Madison believed that his greatest task was his contribution to the debate over their meaning, which he saw as fundamental to understanding the proper ends of the federal government. This groundbreaking study refutes scholarly and Supreme Court opinions of Madison's teaching on constitutional power to provide for the 'General Welfare, ' and sheds new light on his understanding of other key provisions of the Constitution, such as federalism, republican government, and separation of powers. Sorenson reveals a coherent Madisonian philosophy that prefigured Tocqueville's view of the importance of federalism and local government and challenges the judicial understanding of 'General Welfare' that produced the national welfare state.