Practice Essay 11
Essay Question:
According to the arguments raised in The Debate on the Constitution, the Constitutional Convention
“charted the course of the bloodless revolution that created the government of the United States and the world’s
oldest working national charter.”
Using the Federalist Papers and your knowledge of United States politics and government:
1.
2.
Explain how the authors of the Federalist Papers defined the character of the national government.
Illustrate the Federalist position regarding the creation of one of the branches of government.
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Practice Essay 11
Sample Response
The Federalist Papers were the most important arguments in favor of ratification of the Constitution. In
this series of columns printed in New York under the pen name Publius, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and
John Jay outlined the principles that formed the basis of our nation’s republican form of government. It is the
document most often referred to as a source of interpretation of the spirit of the foundling fathers. By examining
this document you will be able to understand what the Federalists believed the national government characteristics
should reflect.
Federalist No. 51 stresses the fact that federal government is stronger than a confederacy. It also suggests
the proper game plan for the structure of government: the formation of three branches – executive (president),
legislative (House of Representatives and Senate), and finally judiciary (Supreme Court). Madison had the idea that
each branch would have separate powers. The branches should rely on each other but be able to check each other’s
power. The government would depend upon the people for their support as well as their input on how the
government should be run. Once the federal constitution was put in place, it had the effect of, in some ways,
supplanting the state constitutions, making the states conform to the central document. With all these elements
coming together, a new republican government replaced the Articles of Confederation.
In Federalist No. 10, James Madison showed how factions caused the downfall of the government under
the Articles of Confederation and discussed how similar factions could have a serious impact on the newly formed
republic. Madison explained that be setting up republican governments in the individual states of the union, factions
based on local levels would be kept from taking control of the national government. He refuted the well-known
argument that a republic could be extended only over a certain sphere of territory, which began with the writings of
Montesquieu. He said that a large republic has two advantages over a small one: a greater number of worthy
candidates for office and a larger electorate, which is more likely to select qualified candidates. This document
clearly states that the main problem in government is factions: in a republic those who are most fit to rule do so as
elected officials. Madison differentiates between a democracy and a republic. Republics regulate power differently;
they also are brought together directly because territory and people are greater in a republic.
Perhaps the most prominent concern of the Anti-Federalists was the issue of a federal government
becoming absolutely omnipotent. They favored states’ rights above all others. By giving the states the jurisdiction
to protect the rights of their citizens and the power to enforce legislation that applied specifically to different
regions, the threat of the federal government superseding the rights of the states would be lessened.
In studying both the Constitution and the Federalist Papers, one finds many topics related to the executive
branch. They also relate to modern-day issues that symbolize the ideas that the Framers originally had in mind.
Presidential power is a very important part of our country’s government. As the Federalist Papers pointed out, a
weak and feeble executive who cannot lead will result in a bad execution of presidential powers and the government
as a whole. If there is a weak president, then Congress is more influential and powerful. The ideas expressed in the
Federalist Papers coincide with those found in the Constitution on many issues concerning the presidency. Through
the power of the president as commander in chief, you can see the many characteristics in the Constitution that are
derived from the Federalist Papers.
An idea that is covered in both the Constitution and the Federalist Papers is that of a civilian commander in
chief being the president. The idea of asking Congress to declare war and develop a viable foreign policy is one of
the most important duties carried out by the president. In the Constitution the clause reads, “The president shall be
commander in chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states when called
into the actual service of the United States.” Similarly, as reported in the Federalist Papers, the Continental
Congress voted that the president should have the power to declare war and will act as commander in chief;
however, in practice he has to gain approval from the Congress. This process limits the executive power but still
allows for a large amount of control by the executive, which is what the Federalists wanted.
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