To what extent were jefferson and Madison different from their federalist predecessors?

They believed more in states rights and individual freedom than did the Federalists. The alien and sedition acts were promptly repealed when Jefferson took office. Jefferson, in particular, ran a less formal White House, However, they were not as different as some Federalists feared they might be. AS you recall Madison was the principal of the Constitution and Jefferson the Declaration of Independence. Neither was about to do anything to jeopardize the government of the United States.