The Federalist Papers

THE FEDERALIST PAPERS were written and printed from October 1787 until May 1788 to counter arguments of Antifederalists against ratification of the Constitution of 1787.
The papers were authored by three important founders Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay.

Alexander Hamilton was the originator of this work and author of 51 of the essays; James Madison wrote 26 of them; three essays were writeen by Hamilton and Madison together; and John Jay wrote five of the papers.

The essays were all published under the pen name "Publius" This pseudonym referred to Publius Valerius Publicola, a defender of the ancient Roman Republic.

While Madison, Hamilton and Jay did not always agree with one another they agreed on the fundamental principles addressed by the Federalist Papers:

Republicanism: A republican government is based on the consent of the governed. Power in a Republic is delegated to a small number of citizens who are elected by the rest.

Federalism: In a federal republic, power is divided vertically between a general (federal) government and multiple state governments. Two levels of government, each supreme in its own sphere, can exercise powers separately and directly on the people. The constitution of a federal republic outlines the powers delegated to each (see Separation of Powers below). State governments can not ignore or contradict federal laws that conform to the the Constitution.

Separation of powers: The Constitution defines separates powers of government among three branches according to function. But this horizontal separation of powers is not complete. Each branch has various constitutional means to participate in the affairs of the others to check and balance powers in government and prevent one branch of the government from dominating the others. Federalist #47 focuses on this issue.

Free government: Republicanism, federalism, and the separation of powers are characteristics of free government. According to THE FEDERALIST, free government is popular government limited by law to protect the security, liberty, and property of individuals. A free government is powerful enough to provide protection against external and internal threats and limited enough to prevent tyranny in any form. In particular, free government is designed to guard against the "Tyranny of the Majority".

Overview of the Federalist Papers