“A refusal to cooperate.”
That’s the strategy James Madison gave us to stop federal programs.
In Federalist #46, he laid out a series of steps to combat “unwarrantable measures of the federal government” along with those that are “warrantable” but “unpopular.”
In other words, we can use his blueprint to combat unconstitutional acts, as well as constitutional ones that are considered bad policy.
A lot of people seem to think that the federal government is too big and powerful to stop, but Madison didn’t think so at all. He insisted, “The means of opposition to it are powerful and at hand.”
Madison said it starts with “the disquietude of the people.” In other words, when the federal government overreaches its authority, Madison expected the people to throw a fit. In fact, he said they would demonstrate “repugnance” at the situation.
We tend to think of repugnance as an emotional reaction, but the word was defined more broadly in Madison’s day. The most used dictionary of the time defined repugnance as “disobedient; not obsequious (compliant).”
In other words, if you want to stop the federal government, you have to disobey it.
This is exactly what Madison said should happen – a “refusal to cooperate with officers of the Union.”
That’s a big deal when the federal government depends on the cooperation of the states and the people to do virtually everything it does.
Repugnance is the name of the game here at the Tenth Amendment Center. We are dedicated to drawing a clear line in the sand and resisting the federal government when it crosses it. But we need your help.
👉 JOIN TAC, SUPPORT LIBERTY just $5/month
👉 Make a One-Time Donation
(more options here: annual, 5-year, lifetime)
Madison noted other measures that should be added to widespread protests and this refusal to cooperate, including “the frowns of the executive magistracy of the State.”
He also envisioned governors formally protesting federal actions, not only raising public awareness, but also setting the stage for the next step.
“the embarrassment created by legislative devices, which would often be added on such occasions”
By “legislative devices,” Madison was referring to state and local legislative action strategically tailored to thwart federal overreach, including measures specifically banning cooperation “with officers of the Union,” thereby denying the state and local support the feds need to carry out any policy.
Madison insisted that this kind of action in even a single state would “impose very serious impediments.”
And if several states acted together?
Game over for the feds!
It “would present obstructions which the federal government would hardly be willing to encounter.”
The power is in our hands. Madison gave us a blueprint. But a plan only works when you put it into action.
- Refuse to Comply: Madison’s Blueprint to Stop the Feds - May 26, 2026
- The Most Dangerous “Weapon” We Face - May 4, 2026
- A Frightful Despotism - April 9, 2026