ABSTRACT
The Tea Party movement holds the US Constitution in high regard and claims to defend the original intentions of the Founding Fathers. Ironically, like many other right-wing actors, they get entangled in the fundamental distinction between the Jeffersonian and Madisonian traditions of US politics. The distinction between Madisonian and Jeffersonian views of democracy are not purely historical, however. Paradoxically, while Madison won the battle over the Constitution, the most important document of American politics, Jefferson has left a lasting legacy in American culture, helped by the preamble's powerful opening reference to "We the People", in shaping the dominant discourse of American politics. Today, the loudest voice of "the people" and the Jeffersonian view of democracy is the Tea Party. The irony is that today's loudest supporters of Jeffersonian democracy are also the staunchest defenders of the Madisonian Constitution.
