Federalist Papers

Lesson Objectives Examine Federalist Papers 10 & 51 in order to identify major concepts and ideas -Assess information and draw conclusions -Examine information from more than one point of view

What were the Federalist Papers? A series of newspaper articles arguing for people to vote for the Constitution Written by Madison and Hamilton

Terms to Know Republic – representative/indirect democracy – citizens elect representatives to make governmental decisions Democracy – They often mean “direct” or “pure” democracy – all citizens participate in decision- making. (Weakness?) Factions – Special interests; any group that tries to dominate the political process to serve its own purposes

Federalist 10: The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection “By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community”

How to Deal with Factions For Dummies Two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects 2 Options 1.Destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence 2.By giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests If factions do exist, how do you deal with them appropriately? LIBERTY IS TO FACTION WHAT AIR IS TO FIRE Majority Faction Minority Faction

More representation More Checks on power Less Violations of Rights Controlling the Effects of Factions Majority FactionMinority Faction Majority rule will limit Keep the idiots quiet RepublicPure Democracy Majority uses passions to sway large crowds Put down minority’s rights Small LARGE ? The better choice: Why? Greater number of citizens More difficult for unworthy candidates Center on men who possess the right qualities Factions hold more weight There go those idiots again Majority Rule, Minority Rights

Federalist 51: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments “It is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the others” Rationale for Separation of Powers

Federalist 51: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments “Were this principle rigorously adhered to, it would require that all the appointments for the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should be drawn from the same fountain of authority, the people, through channels having no communication whatever with one another” Rationale for Popular Sovereignty

Federalist 51: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments “But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others” Rationale for Checks and Balances

FEDERAL STATE Judiciary Executive LegislativeSenateHouse of Reps

What were two main ideas in the Federalist Papers about how the Constitution set up a strong government that preserved freedom?

React to the quote that appears with the person across from you for seconds

“You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself”

“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition”

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary”

Why do people today think the Federalist Papers are so important?