The Federalist Papers

Rating:
Summary: A great revision of a classic work
Review: Everyone who has taken a civics, government or American history class has heard of the Federalist Papers. These 85 essays, published anonymously in New York newspapers during the debate over whether New York would ratify the Constitution, are the best "footnotes" for the Framers' intent when devising the Constitution, the powers of the three branches of government, and the overall shape of the federal government. It is simply impossible to understand the Constitution without taking the time to read the Federalist Papers. And this edition has the very useful feature of cross-references in the Constitution back to the relevant essays of the Federalist Papers.

Some of the essays now seem irrelvant (i.e., the ones dealing with minting of coins). But others are just as powerful now as they were when first written - the role of the judiciary; the conduct of foreign affairs; the division of governing authority between the President and the Congress; the destructive power that special interest groups could have on the legislative process.

The Federalist Papers are often-cited by those who argue that it is the only source of interpretation of the Framers' intent. This may be true. But even the Framers themselves later argued vehemently over what their intent was. While Hamilton supported a strong centralized federal government, Madison eventually supported a weak federal government with strong states acting almost as independent sovereigns. That same political division - between states' rights supporters and strong federalists - continues today among Democrats and Republicans. Both sides cite to the Federalist Papers as supporting their respective positions. Yet neither side can conclusively resolve what the Framers' intent truly was since the Framers themselves seemed to have changed their original intentions as the political winds changed in the years following ratification of the Constitution.

This book is an essential reference guide for anyone with an interest in the American system of government. It is a valuable tool to probe the truth behind politicians' talk of "activist judges" versus "strict constructionist judges". For those who want to be educated on the topic, rely on the Federalist Papers thmselves rather than on others telling you what the Federalist Papers really mean.



Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All Americans
Review: I can hardly offer enough praise for this work. While most Americans have probably read the constituion at least once in their life, it is a shame that so many people are daunted by the task of reading what may be one of the best political pamphlets of all time. To truly understand the constituion and what its writers thought concerning its application it is necessary to understand the political climate of the day and some of the problems facing those who saw the necessity of doing away with the failed system of government under the Articles of Confederation.

Hamilton, Madison, and to a lesser extent Jay, all offer the reader with a first-hand look behind the writing of the constituion and help to explain such misunderstood principles of our government such as the differnces between a nationalist and a federalist system of government, the necessity of seperation of powers and ckecks and balances, and the electoral college. While some of their perceptions of how the young republic would mature and some of the problems it would face are either laughably naive or downright wrong, considering how much the world has changed since the writing of these papers it is amazing how well they understood the political situtions inherent in all governments; both in their own day and in ours.

The Federalist Papers are a fitting amalgamation of over 2000 years of political thought but they are also an interesting case study in a pragmatic view of human nature which was shared by almost all of the writers of the constituion, that man is inherently flawed and thus a government must be designed so as to protect itself from the fruits of these flaws. While astute and inciteful it is important however to view this work as a political pamphlet (it was origionally written for newspaper publication) and not purely as a work of political philosophy and thus it is full of verbose rhetorical flourishes that sometimes make the authors intent confusing. Still a must read for those who wish to understand anything about political philosophy or human nature.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Edition
Review: I found this book to be one of the best books I ever read. Instead of giving a lay understanding of some of the arguments, I would like to note what I found exceptional about this book: the footnotes. The footnotes of this book gave detailed accounts of historical references made that shed much light on where the arguments were coming from. There is so much to be had from this book that I know I will read it at least five more times. Should be required reading by all Americans.

Rating:
Summary: I am amazed at the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers
Review: If you are going to read "The Federalist Papers," you must also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers" in order to get the complete picture. Both books cross-reference each other and both are instrumental in understanding how our government was designed and how it was intended to work. In addition to the Papers, this edition also contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an excellent introduction by Charles Kesler.

In a time when each colony had its own "constitution," the Federalists believed in creating one strong centralized government (with one Constitution) that could effectively represent the people. The authors and supporters of the Constitution knew that they could not afford to lose the vote in the state ratifying conventions. In an effort to win over his home state (New York), Alexander Hamilton, with the assistance of James Madison and John Jay, began a collection of 85 essays and published them under the pseudonym of "Publius" (named after one of the founders and heroes of the Roman republic, Publius Valerius Publicola). The Papers, published in 1787 and 1788, analyze and defend the proposed Constitution of the United States.

The Federalists succeeded in winning the colonists' support. But, even though the anti-federalists lost, their ideas were also brilliant and made an important contribution to the history of our government, which is why you should also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers."

This book is a must-read for all Americans. After reading this book, you will have a renewed appreciation and admiration for the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers.

Rating:
Summary: I'm amazed at the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers
Review: If you are going to read "The Federalist Papers," you must also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers" in order to get the complete picture. Both books cross-reference each other, and both are instrumental in understanding how our government was designed and how it was intended to work. In addition to the Papers, this edition also contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an excellent introduction by Charles Kesler.

In a time when each colony had its own "constitution," the Federalists believed in creating one strong centralized government (with one Constitution) that could effectively represent the people. The authors and supporters of the Constitution knew that they could not afford to lose the vote in the state ratifying conventions. In an effort to win over his home state (New York), Alexander Hamilton, with the assistance of James Madison and John Jay, began a collection of 85 essays and published them under the pseudonym of "Publius" (named after one of the founders and heroes of the Roman republic, Publius Valerius Publicola). The Papers, published in 1787 and 1788, analyze and defend the proposed Constitution of the United States.

Obviously, the Federalists succeeded in winning the colonists' support. But even though the anti-federalists lost, their ideas were also brilliant and made an important contribution to the history of our government, which is why you should also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers."

This book is a must-read for all Americans. After reading this book, you will have a renewed appreciation and admiration for the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers.

Rating:
Summary: I am amazed at the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers
Review: If you are going to read "The Federalist Papers," you must also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers" in order to get the complete picture. Both books cross-reference each other and both are instrumental in understanding how our government was designed and how it was intended to work. In addition to the Papers, this edition also contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an excellent introduction by Charles Kesler.

In a time when each colony had its own "constitution," the Federalists believed in creating one strong centralized government (with one Constitution) that could effectively represent the people. The authors and supporters of the Constitution knew that they could not afford to lose the vote in the state ratifying conventions. In an effort to win over his home state (New York), Alexander Hamilton, with the assistance of James Madison and John Jay, began a collection of 85 essays and published them under the pseudonym of "Publius" (named after one of the founders and heroes of the Roman republic, Publius Valerius Publicola). The Papers, published in 1787 and 1788, analyze and defend the proposed Constitution of the United States.

The Federalists succeeded in winning the colonists' support. But, even though the anti-federalists lost, their ideas were also brilliant and made an important contribution to the history of our government, which is why you should also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers."

This book is a must-read for all Americans. After reading this book, you will have a renewed appreciation and admiration for the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers.

Rating:
Summary: I'm amazed at the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers
Review: If you are going to read "The Federalist Papers," you must also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers" in order to get the complete picture. Both books cross-reference each other, and both are instrumental in understanding how our government was designed and how it was intended to work. In addition to the Papers, this edition also contains the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and an excellent introduction by Charles Kesler.

In a time when each colony had its own "constitution," the Federalists believed in creating one strong centralized government (with one Constitution) that could effectively represent the people. The authors and supporters of the Constitution knew that they could not afford to lose the vote in the state ratifying conventions. In an effort to win over his home state (New York), Alexander Hamilton, with the assistance of James Madison and John Jay, began a collection of 85 essays and published them under the pseudonym of "Publius" (named after one of the founders and heroes of the Roman republic, Publius Valerius Publicola). The Papers, published in 1787 and 1788, analyze and defend the proposed Constitution of the United States.

Obviously, the Federalists succeeded in winning the colonists' support. But even though the anti-federalists lost, their ideas were also brilliant and made an important contribution to the history of our government, which is why you should also read "The Anti-Federalist Papers."

This book is a must-read for all Americans. After reading this book, you will have a renewed appreciation and admiration for the wisdom and vision of our founding fathers.

Rating:
Summary: America at the starting gate
Review: It's hard for us in the 21st century to get our minds around the concept of building, organizing, defending, and financing a new nation. Imagine the incredible questions that must have come into the minds of the founders of America once independence had been won! Fortunately, the new nation had a small handful of men who had the vision, pragmatism, intellect and communicative abilities: Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, specifically. With an assist from John Jay, these men mapped out the Federalist plan for the United States in pamphlets and newspaper items which, once collected, became THE FEDERALIST PAPERS.

After Charles Kesler's insightful introduction, the reader plunges into these great essays--85 of them. What emerges is an obviously biased but logical argument for a strong central government, a national army (rather than provincial, state-run militiae), and an economy based on commerce, manufactures, and banking. Each essay is a self-contained entity, but the common themes make the collection a seamless (most of the time) and unified whole.

Ironically, Madison and Hamilton would become enemies. And over time the anti-Federalists and Democratic-Republicans would endure but the influences of Jay, Hamilton, and Madison had left their marks on the new nation. Any American with an interest in how their country went from independence on paper to independence and success in practice must read THE FEDERALIST PAPERS.

Rating:
Summary: Required Reading for All American's
Review: Read this and understand the true thoughts and meaning behind the Constitution and its Amendments, its interesting to read how the founding fathers interpreted what they wrote in a very different way then the courts and federal gestapo interprete them today. Especially of interest is the paper oon the true meaning of the term "for the general welfare" which has been used to allow all sorts of power grabs from the nuts in Washington, and which has been interpreted completly contrary to what the founding fathers intended. Be a true patriot, read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Arguments for an United Union of states
Review: The arguments for a union:
1. Union was necessary for commerce
2. Commerce facilitated a need for a National Bank
3. Banks charge interest
4. The role of government is to raise revenue from the taxation of commerce
5. The Union represented a favorable trade partner for the world
6. A federal army was created too defend the union
7. Independant States are inheritantly dangerous; this was danger caused by territorial disputes, large state standing armies against small state standing armies, and inconsistent monetary policy fustrating external countries from doing business; whereas, a union represented stability and consistency for the trade partners.

The balance of Power is false - the three branches don't hold power equally:
1. Power is controlled by the legislative branch, the legislative branch creates laws; the executive enforces the law; and the Judical intreprets the law.
2. The executive power increases in power during war
3. The judical branch is the weakest of all the branches. The judical branch was not expected to an powerful entity.
4. The republic form of government is a defense against the imperial monarchy. Sovereignty resides in the states. Bad laws can be opposed by a minority of states. States receive equal representation in the senate. The delegates are too vote against bad laws, this equality prevents tyrancal laws. If a majority of the republic supports bad laws then the people have the ultimate power to revolt and gain control of the government.