[292] During and after the War of 1812, Madison came to support several of their policies which he had opposed in the 1790s, including the national bank, a strong navy, and direct taxes.[293] Wood notes that many historians struggle to understand Madison, but Wood looks at him in the terms of Madison's own times—as a nationalist but one with a different conception of nationalism than that of the Federalists.[292] Gary Rosen uses other approaches to suggest Madison's consistency.[294] Historian Garry Wills wrote, "Madison's claim on our admiration does not rest on a perfect consistency, any more than it rests on his presidency. He has other virtues. ... As a framer and defender of the Constitution he had no peer. ... No man could do everything for the country—not even Washington. Madison did more than most, and did some things better than any. That was quite enough."[295]

Popular culture
Madison, portrayed by Burgess Meredith, is a key protagonist in the 1946 Hollywood film Magnificent Doll, which focuses on a fictionalized account of Dolley Madison's romantic life.[296] Madison is also portrayed in the popular Broadway musical Hamilton played by Joshua Henry in the original 2013 Vassar version. 