The Federalist Papers (Signet Classics) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, Clinton Rossiter
Creator: Charles R. Kesler
Publisher: Signet Classics
Category: Book
List Price: $7.95
Buy New: $3.96
You Save: $3.99 (50%)
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Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 1758
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 688
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4
ISBN: 0451528816
Dewey Decimal Number: 342.73029
EAN: 9780451528810
Publication Date: April 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The documents thatshaped a nation.
Three of the founding fathers brilliantly defend their revolutionary charter: the Constitution of the United States, a milestone in political science and a classic of American history.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
 Serious Political Thinking April 16, 2006
James E. Egolf (Florida)
100 out of 102 found this review helpful
The new edition of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS edited by Clinton Rossiter and co. is probably the best paperback edition. Rossiter and Charles Kesler did a good job in presenting these papers, and their explanations and notes make this book clear for readers. THE FEDERALIST PAPERS alone are an important source of serious political thinking. In an age of almost unbridled political power, corruption, empire buidling, etc. THE FEDERALIST PAPERS are important reminder of what a Free Republic (not an empire) should be.
THE FEDERALIST PAPERS were written by Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), John Jay (1745-1829), and James Madison (1751-1835). Due to concerns about the New York State legislators ratifying the The U.S. Constitution, these papers were journal pieces written to New York journals and newspapers to convince both the residents and state legislators to ratification The U.S. Constitution. One should note there were other published articles supporting ratification of The U.S. Constitution and can be read in a text titled FRIENDS OF THE CONSTITUTION.
What is alarming about THE FEDERALISTS PAPERS is that they were written for most readers. If one were to write such articles these days, most Americans would not read them nor comprehend them. This is a sad commentary on Americans regarding sserious political writing regarding their birthright. If THE FEDERALIST PAPERS were assigned to high school kids, whoever would make such an assignment would be fired or worse.
THE FEDERALIST PAPERS give important explanations of the separation of powers, limits on each branch of the central government (The Federal Government), and how political power should be used within severe limitations. These articles were a brilliant attempt to mitigate fears that The U.S. Constitution would give far too much power the the central or federal government.
The late Clinton Rossiter had a useful suggestion for those who did not want to read all 85 of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS. He suggested that the best numbers were 1,2,6,9,10, 14, 15, 16,23, 37, 39,47, 49, 51, 62, 70, 78, 84, and 85. Those readers who read these numbered papers would probably want to read the remainder.
This newer paperback edition of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS has some valuable features to help the reader navigate complex political thinking. The U.S. Constitution is placed in the end of the book with page numbers of the book whereby the authors of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS refer to that section of the U.S. Constitution. This gives clarity as to exactly what the authors were arguing regarding specific sections of the proposed U.S. Constitution. Another important feature of this edition of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS consists of the notes. The men who wrote THE FEDERALIST PAPERS were learned men who had seriously studied history and political thought. The notes explain the examples of Ancient Greek and Roman History used to make some of the arguments. These notes also refer to examples of Renaissance and English History which were also used to make good arguments from historical examples. One could get first learning of Ancient Greek and Roman History as well as a better view of European Renaissance and English History.
Readers should not forget that the authors of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS were responding the Anti-Federalists and their articles titled THE ANTI-FEDERALIST PAPERS. Too often the Anti-Federalists are referred to as obstrcutionists and narrow minded men. This is simply not true. The ANTI-FEDERALIST PAPERS are as well written and brilliantly argued as THE FEDERALIST PAPERS.
One should note that one of the major objections of the Anti-Federalists to ratification of The U.S. Constitution was that it did not contain a Bill of Rights. The Federalists took this argument seriously. Basically, one could argue that without the Anti-Federalists, there would have been no Bill of Rights. Ergo, without The Bill of Rights, there would have been no U.S. Constitution. The Anti-Federalists were very important in the ratification of The U.S. Constitution.
Anyone who wants to define who Americans should be should read THE FEDERALIST PAPERS. They should also read THE ANTI-FEDERALIST PAPERS and read clear, informed, and well written political theory from men who actually think. Most political hacks and too many American citizens are not even vaguely aware of this important political writing. Yet, this political writing is the very best American political thinking in U.S. History. This reviewer highly recommends the Rossiter-Kesler edition of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS and other editions of THE ANTI-FEDERALIST PAPERS.
Vital to Understanding the US Constitution July 11, 2004
C. Baker (Washington, DC)
38 out of 41 found this review helpful
The Federalist Papers is probably the most seminal discourse on the U.S. Constitution that has ever been written. While there are occasional inconsistencies and undoubtedly many of the founding fathers that took part in the Constitutional Convention and favored adoption of the Constitution would disagree with some of its contents, it is vital reading if one hopes to understand the original intent of the founders.
Understanding The Founders Reasoning August 3, 2005
Charles McVey (Huntington Beach, CA USA)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
Before the ratification of the Constitution of 1787, three of its Framers, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, published a series of articles called The Federalist in a New York paper under the pen name of "Publius." These articles are now published as The Federalist Papers. Publius' intent was to defend the proposed Constitution by explaining its overall integrity and the republican government it would establish. Ironically, one of Publius' intents was to defend the Constitution against the argument it was too weak to withstand those who would subvert republicanism in favor of some form of aristocratic domination.
Sadly, not many read this work, despite the fact that it is one of the few documents that define what the founders' intent really was. This omission has not stopped many from espousing their (lack of) knowledge of that intent. The casual reader can be put off by the size of the work, 85 articles, and the seriousness of the articles. This work was intended for serous people. However, one can approach it with a pen and yellow highlighter and LEARN its wisdom or the more casual reader can let the Introduction guide them to the pieces that interest them.
These casual readers will learn The Federalist Papers are divided into two divisions, each with different themes. The first division addresses the issue of a "firm" and "well-constructed" Union as opposed to a lose confederation of states. This division then addresses how the constitution is protected from the founders' anticipated accidental and intentional threats and answers: what the respective purposes of the Union and the Constitution are; what should be done with society's will; the problem of politics; and even the issues of taxes and maintaining an army. All of these together described the function of government as defined by the Constitution.
In the second division, The Federalist Papers move from the basic function of government to the structure of the American government and using that structure to secure society's common good, the people's happiness, and the public good. All this is accomplished using a moderate tone that makes the reader part of the discourse and not the object of a lecture. This is a constitution aimed at the public in many ways.
So at heart, The Federalist Papers is a guide to the Constitution intended for the casual reader, a reader who can pick and chose those elements that are meaningful.
Alexander Hamilton's Greatest Work (with help from James Madison). January 31, 2006
Epops (usa)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
"The Federalist" is a compilation of articles that appeared in the New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788, written in support of the document that had been approved by the Constitutional Convention that had met in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787. The authors, writing anonymously under the pseudonym "Publius" (after Publius Valerius Publicola, the quasi-legendary First Consul of the Roman Republic), were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, all well-known political figures in the American Revolutionary period. The Constitution had actually been ratified by the time the articles began to appear, but they served to explain to the public the nature of their new government. They have served that function very well ever since. They are now considered to be a definitive statement of the practical issues involved in establishing popular consensual representative government.
Ironically, Hamilton was not nearly as enthusiastic about the new Constitution in private as he was in the pages of "The Federalist". For example, he believed the President should be elected for life, and for that reason throughout his life he was called a "monarchist" by his political enemies.
Another irony is that Hamilton persuaded the American people to accept a Constitution that was and continues to be much more conservative in outlook than are the majority of the American people. He succeeded at this because Americans, like Hamilton, sensed that a conservative governmental structure, with a strong executive, was essential to our security as a fledgling nation-state in a world dominated by hostile and predatory military monarchies. The desperately vulnerable state of the early American Republic comes through vividly in Hamilton's writing, informed no doubt by his heroic Revolutionary War service as George Washington's personal aide. The attachment of Americans to our Constitution as a source of our strength and security continues unabated today.
"Publius" was writing for the average citizen of his day, who either could read himself or was read to - newspapers were usually passed from hand to hand for weeks after publication in those days. But he doesn't write down to his audience. He justifiably assumes that having been through a prolonged and bloody war for their independence the average American citizen was extremely interested in preserving that hard-won liberty, and in the structure of the government that would help them do it.
However, the language is of the late 18th century, and takes some getting used to. These papers should be read one at a time, over a period of months or years. The topics covered are as timely as today's headlines: The limits of presidential power, the independence of the judiciary, the role of government in society.
My favorite quotation from "The Federalist" is not by Hamilton, but by Madison, although I'm sure Hamilton agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment: (from The Federalist No. 51) "But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
"The Federalist" is one of three basic texts of American government. The other two are Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" and Lord Bryce's "The American Commonwealth".
These three books together will provide an educated person with a solid understanding of the nature of the American system of government.
Excellent material, difficult to read January 3, 2006
Bryan Cass (Victor, NY USA)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I rate this book 5 stars because the content is so vital to understanding what our founding fathers were thinking as they tried to convince the Americans in New York that a "Foederal" government, rather than individual states or territories, was the best way to bring the new union together.
OK, now readability. Does anyone else have trouble understanding the writing style of the late 17th century? I appreciate that the book is true to the original newspaper articles, but sometimes my eyes glaze over and I lose the gist of what the author was trying to say. For example: "The disciplined armies always kept on foot on the continent of Europe, though they bear a malignant aspect to liberty and oeconomy, have notwithstanding been productive of the signal advantage, of rendering sudden conquests impracticable, and of preventing that rapid desolation, which used to mark the progress of war, prior to their introduction." I think he's saying that a standing army will prevent foreign powers from easily invading your country. But I have to do this "translation" in my head as I read each sentence, so the reading really gets bogged down.
So, this work is not something that most people can just breeze through - it takes some thought and understanding of the culture and style of the time. If there is a modern-language translation available, I would buy that as a supplement, because the content definitely is worth learning!
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