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Robert A. Ballingall

Robert A. Ballingall

The Conversation

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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.

04.07.2026 10

Fortune

Robert A. Ballingall

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 10

The Conversation

Robert A. Ballingall