Federalist Papers 1787

Federalist Papers

Alexander Hamilton

James Madison John Jay

Anti-Federalist • Brutus • Old Whig • American Farmer • http://www.constitution.org/afp/borden00.ht

m • http://www.constitution.org/afp/afpchron.htm

George Clinton (Cato)

Federalist Highlight

Free Government Republicanism, federalism, and separation of powers are characteristics of free government…free government is designed to guard against the most insidious danger of government by the people--the tyranny of the many over the few.

Federalism will Destroy Liberty “…It might be here shown, that the power in the federal legislative, to raise and support armies at pleasure, as well in peace as in war, and their control over the militia, tend, not only to a consolidation of the government, but the destruction of liberty…” - Brutus

Anti-Federalist

President will have too much power

“… In the first place the office of president of the United States appears to me to be clothed with such powers as are dangerous...an elective king…to lay the foundation for a military government, which is the worst of all tyrannies…” - An Old Whig

Anti-Federalist

Anti-Federalist

Large Republics Cannot be Free“ In so extensive a republic, the great officers of government would soon become above the controul of the people...They will use the power, when they have acquired it, to the purposes of gratifying their own interest and ambition...”

Federalist Highlight Large Federal Republic (10) In a federal republic, power is divided vertically between a general (federal) government and state governments. Two levels of government, each supreme in its own sphere, can exercise powers separately and directly on the people.

Federalist Highlight

Republicanism (10) A republican government is one "in which the scheme of representation takes place." It is based on the consent of the governed because power is delegated to a small number of citizens who are elected by the rest.

Anti-Federalist

Separation of Powers is an Illusion Such various, extensive, and important powers combined in one body of men, are inconsistent with all freedom… "when the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty…"

Federalist Highlight

Separation of Powers (51) Executive: Power to appoint judges, sole power to wage war Legislative: Power to write laws, sole power to declare war Judicial: Sole power to interpret the law and apply it to particular disputes

Federalist Highlight

Bill of Rights (84) The Federalist papers are remarkable for their opposition to what later became the United States Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments) ... many people feared that this would later be interpreted as a list of the only rights that people had.

Ratification

• What are some of the concerns of the Anti-federalists?

• How do the Federalists address those concerns?