... their between philosophical discussions of government and reading the classics in political discussions of government and reading the classics in political theory. Their concerns were highly practical, focusing little of their energies on abstractions. The merits of the Montesquieu did not turn up until The Federalist; and although a perverse argument could be made that Madison's ideal was truly in the tradition of John Locke's Second Treatise of Government, the Locke whom the American rebels treated as an ... Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, the ideological build-up got under way. The Feder...

• Word Count: 1396
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School