Federalist Papers

Written more than two hundred years ago, Alexander Hamilton's, John Jay's and James Madison's Federalist Papers remain completely relevant in describing American political philosophy and clarifying the country's political history. The Federalist Papers outline some of the main causes for the creation of a new nation based on fundamental rights, freedoms, and personal liberties. As their title suggests, the papers set forth an argument in favor of a strong national government that could secure the personal safety and domestic security of all citizens of the United States. However, several of the papers contain ideas that have become outmoded or in some cases, incorrect.

In Paper 8, the authors describe the need for political unification of disparate states for military defense reasons. When the states are unified under a federal government, they will be better protected from hostile external forces. In contrast, small states are vulnerable and must maintain...
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