The Federalist Papers

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Summary: Learn about our country's founders
Review: About a year ago, I saw a movie called The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The movie is about President Chavez in Venezuela and the failed coup attempt on his presidency. In the background coverage of his presidency, the filmmakers recounted how as President, he encouraged his citizens to read their brand new constitution and learn it. They interviewed some Venezuelans who did not know to read, but had learned to read by reading their constitution.

I was touched by this, but then I thought "how many Americans can say they've read the Constitution?" My guess is probably not many. And those that have only did it for school and have since forgotten much of what they learned. Personally, I remember having to memorize the Bill of Rights for a class, but that's about it.

So I bought a copy of the Constitution for myself and began reading it. I also bought a copy of the Federalist Papers.

In a time when Congress is passing legislation that infringes upon the rights guaranteed us by our Constitution, it's important now more than ever that we read and understand it. And the Federalist Papers are a great way to learn what the founders were thinking when shaping the Constitution and to learn the issues they were concerned about in the structure of our government.

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Summary: I Thank God More Each Day for the USA's Founding Fathers
Review: Everything profound has already been said about the Federalist papers. Here are some random thoughts

1. The Federalist papers will become, if not already, a classic. Whatever happens to our great republic, serious students thousands of years from now will study it - the way similar students of politics today still read Plato and Aristotle and Cicero.

2. The individual chapters were originally written in newspapers. Would any publisher of a daily have the nerve to run copy as challenging as the Federalist papers? Would we have the patience for it? Would today's newspaper readership be up to reading it? Would advertisers head for the hills if something on this level were in a newspaper?

3. I doubt that I ever would have read the Federalist papers were it not for first reading books by Allan Bloom and Leo Strauss. Strauss and his students. From my own personal reading experience to that point, no other commentator or writers or or public figures that I can remember of ever mentioned the Federalist papers. I WAS INDEED MUCH MORE CLOSE-MINDED THAN I EVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED.

4. The founding fathers were brilliant and brave, but they were not philosophers or what we today normally think of as college professors. They were ordinary men, by and large. They were certainly a cut above most inhabitants of the colonies. And their achievements were extraordinary.

IT'S ASTONISHING HOW MUCH THE WRITERS OF THE FEDERALIST PAPERS EXPECTED THE MASSES TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO GRASP IN THE DEBATES.

5. If I can read and love the Federalist Papers, then anyone can.

Rating:
Summary: You need to know what is in this book
Review: For those newly awakened to American politics, nothing is more important than the Federalist Papers. The federal government now violates almost every principle of government, and every rationale for its existence, as given by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay. From a government of limited and enumerated powers, celebrated by these Founders, we now have a government that, in the belief of most and the frank admission of many, is a government of unlimited power. They would call this tyranny, and say why. Americans sleep through it, waiting for the check in the mailbox.

Rating:
Summary: You need to know what is in this book
Review: For those newly awakened to American politics, nothing is more important than the Federalist Papers. The federal government now violates almost every principle of government, and every rationale for its existence, as given by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay. From a government of limited and enumerated powers, celebrated by these Founders, we now have a government that, in the belief of most and the frank admission of many, is a government of unlimited power. They would call this tyranny, and say why. Americans sleep through it, waiting for the check in the mailbox.

Rating:
Summary: Must read for all young Americans
Review: If a young scholar first understands the history behind these groundbreaking papers, he or she should gain much knowledge from reading them.

Every person in America should read this book before they get involved in politics or begin a career in government.

Rating:
Summary: Important Reading for Americans.
Review: If you're American these papers are important reading. They were drafted by three important historical figures during the forming of the original 13 states. These papers were drawn up in order to encourage other states to join the Union. After the drafting of the Constitution of the United States in 1787, only Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey had joined. These papers appeared in New York journal's and were impassioned pleas for other states to join the Union. I am Canadian, but I read these papers with great interest. The majority of them were written by Alexander Hamilton, and he is an impassioned and charismatic writer. Good history lesson here.

Rating:
Summary: The Foundation of an Unique Government
Review: The Federalist Papers are rightly considered one of the most authoritative explanations of the provisions of the Constitution in existence. While much further interpretation and definition of the Constitution has taken place over the past 200+ years through the slow accretion of judicial interpretation, the Federalist remains the source for a contemporary explanation of the political causes and justification for virtually every clause in the Constitution.

Some passages are less thrilling than others but Nos. 10, 39, 48, and 51 are about as good as it gets in terms of explicating the structure of what became the US government.

A must read for political science majors, history majors and selected parts for high school students in every government course.

Rating:
Summary: The Foundation of an Unique Government
Review: The Federalist Papers are rightly considered one of the most authoritative explanations of the provisions of the Constitution in existence. While much further interpretation and definition of the Constitution has taken place over the past 200+ years through the slow accretion of judicial interpretation, the Federalist remains the source for a contemporary explanation of the political causes and justification for virtually every clause in the Constitution.

Some passages are less thrilling than others but Nos. 10, 39, 48, and 51 are about as good as it gets in terms of explicating the structure of what became the US government.

A must read for political science majors, history majors and selected parts for high school students in every government course.

Rating:
Summary: Vital to Understanding the US Constitution
Review: The Federalist Papers is probably the most seminal discourse on the U.S. Constitution that has ever been written. While there are occasional inconsistencies and undoubtedly many of the founding fathers that took part in the Constitutional Convention and favored adoption of the Constitution would disagree with some of its contents, it is vital reading if one hopes to understand the original intent of the founders.

Rating:
Summary: Vital to Understanding the US Constitution
Review: The Federalist Papers is probably the most seminal discourse on the U.S. Constitution that has ever been written. While there are occasional inconsistencies and undoubtedly many of the founding fathers that took part in the Constitutional Convention and favored adoption of the Constitution would disagree with some of its contents, it is vital reading if one hopes to understand the original intent of the founders.