The Federalist Papers (Dover Thrift Editions: American History) - Softcover

Hamilton, Alexander; Madison, James; Jay, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0486496368 ISBN 13: 9780486496368

Publisher: Dover Publications, 2014

An excellent reference for anyone who wants a better understanding of the Constitution, this compilation of eighty-five articles explains and defends the ideals behind the highest form of law in the United States. The essays were written and published anonymously in New York newspapers during the years 1787 and 1788 by three of the Constitution's framers and ratifiers: Alexander Hamilton, General George Washington's Chief of Staff and first Secretary of the Treasury; John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States; and James Madison, father of the Constitution, author of the Bill of Rights, and fourth President of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson hailed The Federalist Papers as the best commentary ever written about the principles of government. Milestones in political science and enduring classics of political philosophy, these articles are essential reading for students, lawyers, politicians, and those with an interest in the foundation of U.S. government and law.

Review:

"This country and this people seem to have been made for each other, and it appears as if it was the design of Providence, that an inheritance so proper and convenient for a band of brethren ... should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, and alien sovereignties." So wrote John Jay, one of the revolutionary authors of The Federalist Papers, arguing that if the United States was truly to be a single nation, its leaders would have to agree on universally binding rules of governance--in short, a constitution. In a brilliant set of essays, Jay and his colleagues Alexander Hamilton and James Madison explored in minute detail the implications of establishing a kind of rule that would engage as many citizens as possible and that would include a system of checks and balances. Their arguments proved successful in the end, and The Federalist Papers stand as key documents in the founding of the United States.

About the Author:

Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804) was General George Washington's Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Treasury.
James Madison (1755–1804) was the fourth President of the United States. He was instrumental in drafting the U.S. Constitution and was the author of the Bill of Rights.John Jay (1745–1829) was the first Chief Justice of the United States.

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0486496368
• ISBN 13: 9780486496368
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448