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James Madison, remarks in the House (May 19, 1789), Annals of Congress, vol. 1, col. 387.
“

I think it absolutely necessary that the President should have the power of removing [his subordinates] from office; it will make him, in a peculiar manner, responsible for their conduct, and subject him to impeachment himself, if he suffers them to perpetrate with impunity high crimes or misdemeanors against the United States, or neglects to superintend their conduct, so as to check their excesses.

— James Madison on President of the United States

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I think it absolutely necessary that the President should have the power of removing [his subordinates] from office; it will make him, in a peculiar manner, responsible for their conduct, and subject him to impeachment himself, if he suffers them to perpetrate with impunity high crimes or misdemeanors against the United States, or neglects to superintend their conduct, so as to check their excesses." in the context of "James Madison, remarks in the House (May 19, 1789), Annals of Congress, vol. 1, col. 387." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "President of the United States" (Quotes, M) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

Tags

#James Madison#conduct#subordinates#misdemeanors#responsible#impeachment#superintend#absolutely#perpetrate#necessary#president#removing
James Madison

About James Madison

James Madison Jr. (16 March 1751 – 28 June 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.