Final answer:
President James Madison vetoed a government funding bill for internal improvements as he held strong to a strict constructionist view of the Constitution, suggesting the need for a constitutional amendment to grant such powers.
Step-by-step explanation:
President James Madison vetoed a bill that supported government funding of internal improvements because he believed in a strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution. He maintained that funding such programs was beyond the powers specifically granted to the federal government.
Hence, he proposed that if the nation wanted the federal government to finance internal improvements, a constitutional amendment should be introduced, granting this specific power. His perspective was that, in the absence of such an amendment, internal improvements should be managed and funded at the state level.