The Federalist
Papers
The Federalist Papers, written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in
support of the Constitution, are generally accepted as one of the most important collection of
documents on political philosophy ever. The new Constitution faced an uphill battle before it was
ratified and accepted as law of the land. Two of the largest states, Virginia and New York, had
many of its most influential leaders vehemently opposed to its adoption. Hamilton, Jay, and
Madison, although not on the same page concerning key ideas in the Constitution, united and
focused their efforts on gaining support for the new Constitution. Under the pseudonym Publius,
these three men published a series of essays that analyzed key topics and questions and explained
the intent of the Founding Fathers and the expectations of the new government.
In this assignment you will have to read and analyze a total of 4 Federalist essays.
THE TOPICS:
Separation of Powers (everyone reads)
The Judiciary
Executive Powers
Economic Development
Powers of the House
Federalism: Sharing Power
Powers of the Senate
The Federalist Papers by Main Topic
1.Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States (Federalist 6-11)
2.The Utility of the Union (Federalist 12-14)
3.The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union (Federalist 16-20)
4.Other Defects of the Present Confederation (Federalist 21-24)
5.Concerning the General Power of Taxation (Federalist 30-37)
6.General View of the Powers Conferred by The Constitution (Federalist 41-46)
7.These Departments Should Not Be So Far Separated as to Have No Constitutional Control Over
Each Other (Federalist 48-49)
8.The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the
Different Departments (Federalist 51-57)
9.The Executive Department (Federalist 67-75)
10.The Judiciary Department (Federalist 78-83)
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1786-1800/the-federalist-papers/
1: READ the four essays : You must read 10, 51 and two others of your choosing
As you read, take margin notes on the key points and arguments made by the author.
2: Review your margin notes.
3: Fill in the chart that analyzes your specific document. In your analysis you will need to
provide the following information:
a. Identify the author (either Madison, Hamilton, or Jay).
b. Identify the general topic that the article deals with.
c. Look at the copy of the Constitution found in the back of your textbook.
-Identify the specific article and section from the Constitution that the article
supported.
-You only have to provide the article and section numbers, NOT specific information
from the Constitution.
d. Identify the major question (s) about the Constitution that the author tackles.
** PLEASE NOTE: The question is not always directly stated. You may have to
use your skills (ha-ha-ha-ha, oops, sorry) of inference to determine the question.
e. Summarize key arguments or information that supports the Constitution.
The Federalist
Papers
Federalist No. 15
Author
Topic Dealt With
Specific Article and
Section of the
Constitution It
Supports
Major questions
it tackles
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Want extra points:? (Scroll down)
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Research the major principles of the Federalist or Antifederalists and create a Wordle for their
main points/ideas, the major leaders involved, and their success in reaching their goals. Minimum
of 50 words.
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