Politicians the Founders Warned You About

Many articles have explored the Founders’ intentions regarding the constitutional text. Much less attention has focused on the Founders’ ideas regarding the traits needed of the leaders in a constitutional republic. The Constitution focuses on governing structures, many of which relate to the electoral process. The Constitution does not spell out the ideal traits of the leaders elected pursuant to those processes.

Nonetheless, the Founders possessed clear views about the virtues and qualifications that ideal political leaders required. Indeed, the Founders issued warnings about certain archetypal political figures who, because of their flagrant disregard of the ideal virtues and qualifications, threatened the nation’s political health. This article examines the warnings issued by the Founders about four types of political figures who threatened the integrity of our republic: partisans, demagogues, ambitious, and tyrants. After exploring the Founders’ warnings about these dangerous leadership traits, this article looks at contemporary political culture and actors to consider how those very archetypes are manifesting.

Finally, the article turns to a consideration of how ignoring the Founders’ warnings to allow these dangerous archetypes to take root can undermine the health of the American republic.