Montesquieu and Madison Republican Theory: Finding the Right Balance

In this episode, the Friends of Publius delve into political theory and discuss how the ideas of both Montesquieu and Madison were incorporated into the U.S. Constitution.  This question is from Unit 1, Question 1 of the Center for Civic Education’s We the People curriculum. Do you agree with Montesquieu’s assessments regarding the dilemmas facing large and small republics?*How did the presence of foreign powers, such as France, Spain, or neighboring Indigenous nations, shape the colonists’ arguments or proposals for governmental structure?*In your opinion, has the American constitutional system struck a balance between the strength of a large republic and the internal harmony of a small one?