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Robert A. Ballingall

Robert A. Ballingall

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69% of Americans think the founders would be disappointed in democracy today. A French philosopher predicted why

James Madison called Montesquieu "the oracle who is always consulted," and his theory of liberty as "tranquility of mind" is worth revisiting now.

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Fortune

Robert A. Ballingall

As the US turns 250, a forgotten founding influence helps explain its current unease

As the US turns 250, a forgotten founding influence helps explain its current unease

Montesquieu shaped how Americans understood liberty, and his warning about a ‘tyranny of opinion’ speaks to today’s polarization.

02.07.2026 1

The Conversation

Robert A. Ballingall