James Madison: Call Your Agent

By Janice Castro

Who's the hottest author in Moscow? Right now, freshly minted democrats there are eagerly devouring the works of a guy named Publius. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay adopted that pseudonym back in 1787 when they wrote the 85 essays known as The Federalist. Muscovites are asking the American embassy for Russian-language copies of the essays. Their favorite part: Madison's eloquent description of the proper way to balance local autonomy with central authority. Two hundred years ago, his reasoned arguments helped persuade the states to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart