The Federalist Papers: A Reasonable Survey
Welcome to a revelation of the reasons we are Americans. A large part of who we are as Americans is defined by
the United States Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land. The Federalist Papers (1787 thru 1788) are a public
debate, printed in the newspapers of New York, to convince the American public to ratify the newly drafted
Constitution.
Our Study – 3 weeks
Week
1
2
3
Federalist Papers / Topic
Intro, #1, #2, #10
American Federalism, #42, #43, #44
#45, #46, #47
Suggested: other key Federalist Papers to read
#9, #11, #12, #17, #23, #28, #32, #33, #36, #37, #39, #41, #51, #56, #57,
#58, #62, #68, #69, #71, #78, #80, #84, #85
Major Themes: (for all 85 Federalist Papers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
A New Order for the Ages - Novus Ordo Seclorum – What is America?
A Great Compromise
A Republic - NOT A DEMOCRACY!!
The Delicate Balance of Power
Maximum Freedom - Minimum Government
Taxation with Representation
Quick Stats/Facts:
•
•
85 Federalist Papers – all penned by “Publius”
o Publius Valerius Publicola (or Poplicola, his agnomen meaning "friend of the people") (died 503 BC) was one
of four Roman aristocrats who led the overthrow of the monarchy, and became a Roman consul, the
colleague of Lucius Junius Brutus in 509 BC, traditionally considered the first year of the Roman Republic.
o 51 written by Hamilton
o 26 written by Madison
o 5 written by Jay
o 3 written by Hamilton & Madison
o Some dispute on Hamilton and Madison papers … cannot be sure
o 195,655 words
United State Constitution - 4,754 words (without the 27 Amendments)
List of The Federalist Papers
Study
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Title / Author / Date
General Introduction / Hamilton / October 27, 1787
Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence / Jay / October 31, 1787
The Same Subject / Jay / November 3, 1787
The Same Subject / Jay / November 7, 1787
The Same Subject / Jay/ November 10, 1787
Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States / Hamilton / November 14, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / November 15, 1787
The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States / Hamilton / November 20, 1787
The Federalist Papers –intro
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9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
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41
42
43
44
45
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46
47
48
49
50
Title / Author / Date
The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection / Hamilton / November 21, 1787
The Same Subject / Madison / November 22, 1787
The Utility of the Union in Respect to Commercial Relations and a Navy / Hamilton / November 24, 1787
The Utility of the Union In Respect to Revenue / Hamilton / November 27, 1787
Advantage of the Union in Respect to Economy in Government / Hamilton / November 28, 1787
Objections to the Proposed Constitution From Extent of Territory Answered / Madison / November 30, 1787
The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union / Hamilton / December 1, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / December 4, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / December 5, 1787
The Same Subject / Madison[1] / December 7, 1787
The Same Subject / James Madison[1] / December 8, 1787
The Same Subject / Madison[1] / December 11, 1787
Other Defects of the Present Confederation / Hamilton / December 12, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / December 14, 1787
The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union / Hamilton /
December 18, 1787
The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered / Hamilton / December 19, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / December 21, 1787
The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered / Hamilton /
December 22, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / December 25, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / December 26, 1787
Concerning the Militia / Hamilton / January 9, 1788
Concerning the General Power of Taxation / Hamilton / December 28, 1787
The Same Subject / Hamilton / January 1, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / January 2, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / January 2, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / January 5, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / January 5, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / January 8, 1788
Concerning the Difficulties of the Convention in Devising a Proper Form of Government / Madison / January 11,
1788
The Same Subject / Madison / January 12, 1788
The Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles / Madison / January 18, 1788
The Powers of the Convention to Form a Mixed Government Examined and Sustained / Madison / January 18,
1788
General View of the Powers Conferred by the Constitution / Madison / January 19, 1788
The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered / Madison / January 22, 1788
The Same Subject / Madison / January 23, 1788
Restrictions on the Authority of the Several States / Madison / January 25, 1788
The Alleged Danger From the Powers of the Union to the State Governments Considered / Madison / January 26,
1788
The Influence of the State and Federal Governments Compared / Madison / January 29, 1788
The Particular Structure of the New Government and the Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts /
Madison / January 30, 1788
These Departments Should Not Be So Far Separated as to Have No Constitutional Control Over Each Other /
Madison / February 1, 1788
Method of Guarding Against the Encroachments of Any One Department of Government / Madison[2] / February
2, 1788
Periodic Appeals to the People Considered / Madison[2] / February 5, 1788
The Federalist Papers –intro
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51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
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71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
Title / Author / Date
The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different
Departments / Madison[2] / February 6, 1788
The House of Representatives / Madison[2] / February 8, 1788
The Same Subject / Madison[2] / February 9, 1788
The Apportionment of Members Among the States / Madison[2] / February 12, 1788
The Total Number of the House of Representatives / Madison[2] / February 13, 1788
The Same Subject / Madison[2] / February 16, 1788
The Alleged Tendency of the New Plan to Elevate the Few at the Expense of the Many / Madison[2] / February
19, 1788
Objection That The Number of Members Will Not Be Augmented as the Progress of Population Demands
Considered / Madison[2] / February 20, 1788
Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members / Hamilton / February 22, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / February 23, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / February 26, 1788
The Senate / Madison[2] / February 27, 1788
The Senate Continued / Madison[2] / March 1, 1788
The Powers of the Senate / Jay / March 5, 1788
The Powers of the Senate Continued / Hamilton / March 7, 1788
Objections to the Power of the Senate To Set as a Court for Impeachments Further Considered / Hamilton /
March 8, 1788
The Executive Department / Hamilton / March 11, 1788
The Mode of Electing the President / Hamilton / March 12, 1788
The Real Character of the Executive / Hamilton / March 14, 1788
The Executive Department Further Considered / Hamilton / March 15, 1788
The Duration in Office of the Executive / Hamilton / March 18, 1788
The Same Subject / Hamilton / March 19, 1788
The Provision For The Support of the Executive, and the Veto Power / Hamilton / March 21, 1788
The Command of the Military and Naval Forces, and the Pardoning Power of the Executive / Hamilton / March
25, 1788
The Treaty Making Power of the Executive / Hamilton / March 26, 1788
The Appointing Power of the Executive / Hamilton/ April 1, 1788
The Appointing Power Continued and Other Powers of the Executive Considered / Hamilton / April 2, 1788
The Judiciary Department / Hamilton / May 28, 1788 (book) & June 14, 1788 (newspaper)
The Judiciary Continued / Hamilton / May 28, 1788 (book) & June 18, 1788 (newspaper)
The Powers of the Judiciary / Hamilton / June 21, 1788
The Judiciary Continued, and the Distribution of the Judicial Authority / Hamilton / June 25, 1788 & June 28,
1788
The Judiciary Continued / Hamilton / July 2, 1788
The Judiciary Continued in Relation to Trial by Jury / Hamilton / July 5, 1788, July 9, 1788 & July 12, 1788
Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered / Hamilton / July 16,
1788, July 26, 1788 & August 9, 1788
Concluding Remarks / Hamilton / August 13, 1788 & August 16, 1788
The Federalist Papers –intro
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FEDERALIST No. 1 – Hamilton
General Introduction (Oct 27, 1787)
Main Points: 1)
2)
3)
4)
Can a government be established by
The enemies of Truth are
and
,
(vs. accident and force)?
(especially), and
.
Are there good and wise men on both sided of this debate – Federalists and Anti-Federalists?
can rarely be cured by persecution.
Our current debates (1787) focus on energy and
of government.
Which is more desirable? A) Rights for the people or B) Efficient government
What form of government is advocated? (… it’s NOT A DEMOCRACY!!)
Excerpts from General Washington’s Farewell Address
•
I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, … the baneful effects of the spirit of party …
•
They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of
the nation the will of a part, … ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and
wholesome plans….
•
The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension,
which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.
… moderate the fury of party spirit
•
FEDERALIST No. 2 – Jay
Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence (Oct 31, 1787)
Main Points: 1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
People must cede some
to their federal government
America is blessed with a variety of
and
We have much in common The Constitution before you is
,
. There are also highways of
, and defeated the
, not imposed.
With mature deliberation patriotic, virtuous, and wise men formed a Constitution to advance public
The Federalist Papers –intro
and
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FEDERALIST No. 10 – Madison
23, 1787)
The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection - continued (Nov
Read Amendment XVII with this paper.
Extra Credit reading “The Law” by Frederic Bastiat
Main Points: 1)
2)
3)
4)
,
, and
Faction can be cured by
are diseases to government
or
.
is to faction what is to fire.
The
good includes rights of the
party.
Different faculties of men naturally yield
and
acquisition of property.
As men divide into (political)
mutual
is inflamed.
Legislation concerning
is likely to trample the rules of justice.
cannot cure the mischiefs of faction.
The rage for
The Federalist Papers –intro
is a wicked project.
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