Explore James Madison’s foundational concern: the greatest threat to democracy is tyranny—specifically, tyranny of the majority. His solution was a vast republic with diverse factions to prevent stable majorities from seizing unchecked power. Yet Madison misjudged where power would concentrate. Rather than Congress dominating, today's legislature has ceded authority to an expansive executive, enabled by a dormant nondelegation doctrine. This shift leaves the nation ill-equipped to confront predictable crises—most notably, the mounting national debt. Despite partisan rancor, the political class is increasingly unified by shared self-interest in re-election, not divided by ideology.