Tag: documents
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Federalist No. 67
In Federalist No. 67 Hamilton is clearly upset at those who oppose the proposed Constitution because of their outrageous misrepresentation of the content of the Constitution in relation to the office of President. As I read the example of misrepresentation that he recounted I recognized the same spirit of selective fact presentation that is altogether…
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Federalist No. 66
Federalist No. 66 has me seeking opinions on a few questions. Specifically it got me asking which of the four elements of our federal government (the Executive, the Judicial, the Senate, and the House) is the most powerful? Which Should be the most powerful? The founders clearly had some idea about which they thought should…
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Federalist Nos. 64 – 65
In discussing the powers of the senate related to the making of treaties John Jay outlines a truth that undercuts one of the major arguments against term limits. In Federalist No. 64 he states: providing for the frequent elections of senators in such a way as to obviate the inconvenience of periodically transferring those great…
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Federalist Nos. 62 – 63
Federalist Papers 62 and 63 begin examining the Senate, just as the House has been examined in recent papers. I was quickly surprised to find this gem: So far the equality ought to be no less acceptable to the large than to the small States; since they are not less solicitous to guard, by every…
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Federalist Nos. 59 – 61
Federalist Papers 59, 60, and 61 discuss the power of Congress to regulate the elections of members of Congress. This power is meant to be exercised by the individual states while allowing the federal government to make some blanket provisions to ensure some uniformity within the union. Some people worried that Congress might be able…
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Federalist No. 58
I was tempted to not closely read Federalist No. 58 because I already knew that the assumptions it contained, however accurate they may have been in the 18th century had been rendered obsolete int he 20th century. For the first 120 years of our history the size of the House was expanded as the population…
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Federalist No. 57
Federalist No. 57 contains a statement describing the proper goals of any constitution boiled down to two simple points: The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in…
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Federalist Nos. 55 – 56
Federalist No. 55 and Federalist No. 56 explore a subject which has grown increasingly interesting and important to me the more I have studied – that is a consideration of the proper size of the House of Representatives. Here I find, unsurprisingly, that a few assumptions were made which have proven to be critically incorrect.…
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Federalist No. 54
Federalist No. 54 is not particularly applicable to any of our current political issues, but it is very instructive of the process of political compromise. I also found it to be a very interesting example of the logical somersaults that a person can be brought to accept when they believe in the morality of something…
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Federalist Nos. 52 – 53
Federalist No. 52 and Federalist No. 53 begin an exploration of the individual branches of government as defined in the Constitution by considering the purpose, composition, and structure of the House of Representatives. While they were trying to rectify the weaknesses of existing legislative bodies, sometimes it can feel like we still live under a…