Before Jefferson's own presidency, he was a large advocator of strict constitutionalism. In 1800, he wrote a letter to Gideon Granger, telling him that he believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. He is a large advocator of state rights, and he states that he is not in favor of a strong national government. In the end of this letter, Jefferson states that "the true theory of the constitution is surely the wisest and best". (Document A)
In 1808, Jefferson follows the same view. In his letter to Samuel Miller, he strictly interprets the constitution as being the ultimate authority, and leaving the states the power that the government can not harness, such as anything to do with …show more content…
He favored central power, national rights, etc. By the 1790s however, Madison's views seemed to change drastically. He became a stronger advocate of states' rights, and began to interpret the constitution more rigidly. As can be seen in Madison's message to Congress regarding an Internal Improvements Bill, March 1817, Madison explicitly states that he can not favor the bill, because there is no power expressed in the Constitution which gives him the right to do so. Therefore, Madison, like Jefferson was not firm in his beliefs either. (Document