Federalist No. 10

Understanding Federalist 10: translating the text & the big ideas

The Federalist Papers

• a series of 85 essays published in New York newspapers and distributed nationally in 1787-1788
• the essays explained and defended the proposed federal constitution of 1787
  • which can be generally defined as creation of a new, centralized government under "republican" principles
    • those being representation, separation of powers, and limits on the power of the majority
• see here for audio book version of the Federalist papers:
  • The Federalist Papers (version 2) (librivox.org)

click EXPAND for more on the Federal Papers, their purpose and authorship

• the essays were signed "Publius"
  • Publius Valerius was one of founders of the Roman Republic who overthrew the Etruscan kings

Authors:

• • Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison

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• Alexander Hamilton
  • • important federalist thinker and politician
    • was Washington's first Secretary of the Treasury
    • Hamilton applied federalist principles towards application of the central government's powers
• John Jay
  • an important Revolutionary era patriot, diplomat and political leader
  • Jay became the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• James Madison
  • provided the philosophical basis for the new Constitution
  • became fourth president
  • known as the "father of the Constitution" because:
    • Madison set the agenda for the Constitutional Convention
      • he created a "blueprint" (outline) for the new constitution
    • and framed his ideas through history and philosophy
• Federalist Papers identified authorship:
  • Alexander Hamilton (51 articles: Nos. 1, 6–9, 11–13, 15–17, 21–36, 59–61, and 65–85)
  • John Jay (5 articles: Nos. 2–5 and 64).
  • James Madison (29 articles: Nos. 10, 14, 18–20,[14] 37–58 and 62–63)

Publication

• the Papers were published in three New York newspapers
  • Daily Journal, New-York Packet and Daily Advertiser
  • they were reprinted elsewhere and subsequently printed as a collection

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"Addressed to the People of New York"

• New York State was a battleground for the arguments over adopting the proposed Constitution because of strong anti-federalist sentiment, including the Governor at the time, George Clinton.
• While the Federalist (so-called at the time) was reprinted elsewhere, it's largest circulation was in New York
  • it is unclear the extent to which it influenced other states, such as Pennsylvania which ratified the Constitution amidst the publication of the Federalist Papers.
  • Regardless of their direct impact upon the ratification of the Constitution, the Federalist Papers magnificently laid out the logic, reasons, and purposes of the proposed Constitution and have ever since been used by historians, the Courts, and the federal and state governments for guidance and clarification of the meaning of the Constitution.

Purpose of the Federalist Papers

• to explain and defend the proposed Constitution
• and to counter arguments made against it by the anti-federalists
• to influence the states to adopt the new constitution

Ideas behind the Papers

• to identify the need for a strong central government
• to identify the protections for the states and the people from that central government
  • principally through separation of powers, checks & balances, and accountability to the people

Legacy of the Papers:

• • stand as evidence of the ideas and intentions behind the design of the Constitution
  • have been used in Courts in order to help define the legal meanings of the Constitution
  • remind Americans of the philosophy of government behind the Constitution

Federalist No. 10 background

• Federalists xx-xx , in general,
• In Federalist 10, Madison discusses
  • Federalist no 9: "Title "

Summary of purpose

• Madison discusses

ORIGINAL TEXT	SUMMARY/ ANALYSIS
FEDERALIST NO. 10 The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection New York Packet, Friday, November 23, 1787 To the People of the State of New York:	Authorship Federalist no. 51 is attributed to James Madison Title "the Union" the new nation to be created under the proposed Constitution the Constitution's preamble states, "to form a more perfect union" "Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection" = that a purpose ("Utility") of the proposed Constitution will protect against ("safeguard") "Domestic" (among the states and the people) "Faction", parties, interests, and other groups aligned against one another "Insurrection" = rebellion against a government
AMONG the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction. The friend of popular governments never finds himself so much alarmed for their character and fate, as when he contemplates their propensity to this dangerous vice. He will not fail, therefore, to set a due value on any plan which, without violating the principles to which he is attached, provides a proper cure for it. The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished; as they continue to be the favorite and fruitful topics from which the adversaries to liberty derive their most specious declamations. The valuable improvements made by the American constitutions on the popular models, both ancient and modern, cannot certainly be too much admired; but it would be an unwarrantable partiality, to contend that they have as effectually obviated the danger on this side, as was wished and expected. Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority. However anxiously we may wish that these complaints had no foundation, the evidence, of known facts will not permit us to deny that they are in some degree true. It will be found, indeed, on a candid review of our situation, that some of the distresses under which we labor have been erroneously charged on the operation of our governments; but it will be found, at the same time, that other causes will not alone account for many of our heaviest misfortunes; and, particularly, for that prevailing and increasing distrust of public engagements, and alarm for private rights, which are echoed from one end of the continent to the other. These must be chiefly, if not wholly, effects of the unsteadiness and injustice with which a factious spirit has tainted our public administrations.	Heading
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PUBLIUS.	All the Federalist papers were signed "Publius," a reference to a founder of the Roman republic

Sources:

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• Full Text of The Federalist Papers (Library of Congress)