The Federalist Papers College Essays Samples For Students

The passage “For if some rights remained with private individuals, in the absence of any common superior who could decide between them and the public, each person would eventually claim to be his own judge in all things, since he is on some points his own judge” from the political philosophic treatise On Social Contract; Or The Principles Of Political Right written by Jean Jacques Rousseau. The above quoted passage is a part of the 7th paragraph near the bottom of page 6, of “Chapter 6. The Social Compact” in the Book 1 of the philosophic treatise On ...

When Federalists and Anti-Federalists were debating about the new U.S. Constitution, one of the most controversial issues was the balance of power between the national and state governments. In order give more power to the national government, Federalists had to take into account Anti-Federalists’ views and introduce three branches of power that would be empowered to control each other. James Madison, one of America’s founding fathers, wrote in The Federalist Papers that “power is of an encroaching natureit ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it.” (Cited in The Federalist Papers Project 19). It ...

Adam Smith:

Adam Smith was born in Scotland June 16, 1723. He is one of the most revered personalities in the history of the United States (Hanley 40). After the age of 15, he joined Glasgow University where he commenced his philosophy studies. Adam Smith later attended Oxford’s Balliol College in the 1740s. After graduating, he traveled extensively across Scotland, lecturing the public on his economic philosophy. He was a strong believer in the free market economy, which he considered as a system of natural liberty. The Wealth of Nations remains one of the Smith’s most famous works in ...

The use of political rhetoric in the American politics has a historical background. Since the ancient times, the advocates of change have used it to bring the American public together for a common cause. The choice and timing of the words used are essential to bring out the intended message to the audience. The success of political rhetoric in persuading the audience not only lies in the contents of the political message but also in the delivery of the message to the audience. Political rhetoric is valuable in influencing public opinion and shaping historical events. Tom Paine’s Common Sense, the ...

The United States had two constitutions to regulate and establish the rights and state orders. Articles of Confederation came into force in 1781, when Maryland ratified it and it was the first Constitution of the United States (Fritz C. G., 2008, p.131). The Constitution came to replace the Articles of Confederation when it was ratified by New Hampshire in 1788. These two documents have much in common. However, there are quite significant differences between them. By comparing them it is possible to see what the drafters considered important in 1781, and that they changed their minds in 1788.
Articles ...

History

The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781 although the first draft had been written by Benjamin Franklin during the Revolutionary War. The Articles organized the colonies into a weak confederation of more-or-less independent states (Sturgis, 2002). The United States of America became a new nation but unfortunately in the mid-1780s an economic depression forced a serious challenge for the national government to find solutions to the economic problems. The Articles of Confederation did not include taxation power or any other power that would provide income for the national government. The meaning of an American democracy became a debating point particularly on the ...

The 1700s through the 1800s saw the two political philosophies battle it out and define what the American constitution is today. It is observed that these two opposing philosophies steered the development of the modern American Constitution and gave it a gentle push towards the right direction. Americas best political minds set out to find common ground in the Philadelphia Convention regarding the government structure. These two parties both had issues on which they agreed and at the same time disagreed on other fronts; eventually both were to make considerable compromises and unite.
Led by James Wilson, the Federalists’ ...

The experiment in national government under the Articles of Confederation proved to be a failure. The Articles of Confederation served as the 1st constitution for the country. The Articles of Confederation had crucial flaws such as a weak executive, no control over national taxation and no power over trade. The government had no power to compel people to perform national obligations as they were carried out in individual states (Declaration of Independence, 65). Under the Articles of Confederation, each state still retained its full “sovereignty, freedom and independence” (Political, 33). The Founders saw it wise to call for a constitutional convention ...