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The Federalist

First published 1788 · the first collected edition (1788)
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Volume I

Published March 1788: the address to the reader and Numbers I to XXXVI.

Preface
It is supposed that a collection of the papers which have made their appearance in the Gazettes of this City, under the Title of the…
i
Introduction
After an unequivocal experience of the inefficacy of the subsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate on a new…
ii
Concerning Dangers from foreign Force and Influence
When the people of America reflect that they are now called upon to decide a question, which, in its consequences, must prove one of the…
iii
The same Subject continued
It is not a new observation that the people of any country (if like the Americans intelligent and well informed) seldom adopt, and steadily…
iv
The same Subject continued
My last paper assigned several reasons why the safety of the people would be best secured by Union against the danger it may be exposed to…
v
The same Subject continued
Queen Ann, in her letter of the 1st July, 1706, to the Scotch Parliament, makes some observations on the importance of the Union then…
vi
Concerning Dangers from War between the States
The three last numbers of this paper have been dedicated to an enumeration of the dangers to which we should be exposed, in a state of…
vii
The Subject continued and particular Causes enumerated
It is sometimes asked, with an air of seeming triumph, what inducements could the states have, if disunited, to make war upon each other?…
viii
The Effects of internal War in producing standing Armies and other Institutions unfriendly to Liberty
Assuming it therefore as an established truth that the several states, in case of disunion, or such combinations of them as might happen to…
ix
The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard against domestic Faction and Insurrection
A Firm union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the states as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection. It…
x
The same Subject continued
Among the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to…
xi
The Utility of the Union in Respect to Commerce and a Navy
The importance of the union, in a commercial light, is one of those points, about which there is least room to entertain a difference of…
xii
The Utility of the Union in respect to Revenue
The effects of union, upon the commercial prosperity of the states, have been sufficiently delineated. Its tendency to promote the…
xiii
The same Subject continued, with a View to Economy
As connected with the subject of revenue, we may with propriety consider that of economy. The money saved from one object may be usefully…
xiv
An Objection drawn from the Extent of Country answered
We have seen the necessity of the union as our bulwark against foreign danger, as the conservator of peace among ourselves, as the guardian…
xv
Concerning the Defects of the present Confederation, in Relation to the Principle of Legislation for the States in their collective Capacities
In the course of the preceding papers, I have endeavoured, my fellow citizens, to place before you, in a clear and convincing light, the…
xvi
The same Subject continued, in Relation to the same Principles
The tendency of the principle of legislation for states or communities, in their political capacities, as it has been exemplified by the…
xvii
The Subject continued, and illustrated by Examples to show the Tendency of Federal Governments, rather to Anarchy among the Members than Tyranny in the Head
An objection of a nature different from that which has been stated and answered in my last address, may perhaps be likewise urged against…
xviii
The Subject continued, with farther Examples
Among the confederacies of antiquity, the most considerable was that of the Grecian republics associated under the Amphyctionic council.…
xix
The Subject continued, with farther Examples
The examples of antient confederacies, cited in my last paper, have not exhausted the source of experimental instruction on this subject.…
xx
The Subject continued, with farther Examples
The United Netherlands are a confederacy of republics, or rather of aristocracies, of a very remarkable texture; yet confirming all the…
xxi
Further Defects of the present Constitution
Having in the three last numbers taken a summary review of the principal circumstances and events which depict the genius and fate of other…
xxii
The same Subject continued and concluded
In addition to the defects already enumerated in the existing federal system, there are others of not less importance, which concur in…
xxiii
The necessity of a Government, at least equally energetic with the one proposed
The necessity of a constitution, at least equally energetic with the one proposed, to the preservation of the union, is the point, at the…
xxiv
The Subject continued, with an Answer to an Objection concerning standing Armies
To the powers proposed to be conferred upon the federal government in respect to the creation and direction of the national forces—I have…
xxv
The Subject continued with the same View
It may perhaps be urged, that the objects enumerated in the preceding number ought to be provided for by the state governments, under the…
xxvi
The Subject continued with the same View
It was a thing hardly to be expected, that in a popular revolution the minds of men should stop, at that happy mean, which marks the…
xxvii
The Subject continued with the same View
It has been urged in different shapes that a constitution of the kind proposed by the convention, cannot operate without the aid of a…
xxviii
The same Subject continued
That there may happen cases, in which the national government may be necessitated to resort to force, cannot be denied. Our own experience…
xxix
Concerning the Militia
The power of regulating the militia, and of commanding its services in times of insurrection and invasion, are natural incidents to the…
xxx
Concerning Taxation
It has been already observed, that the federal government ought to possess the power of providing for the support of the national forces;…
xxxi
The same Subject continued
In disquisitions of every kind there are certain primary truths or first principles upon which all subsequent reasonings must depend. These…
xxxii
The same Subject continued
Although I am of opinion that there would be no real danger of the consequences, which seem to be apprehended to the state governments,…
xxxiii
The same Subject continued
The residue of the argument against the provisions in the constitution, in respect to taxation, is ingrafted upon the following…
xxxiv
The same Subject continued
I FLATTER myself it has been clearly shewn in my last number, that the particular states, under the proposed constitution, would have…
xxxv
The same Subject continued
Before we proceed to examine any other objections to an indefinite power of taxation in the union, I shall make one general remark; which…
xxxvi
The same Subject continued
We have seen that the result of the observations, to which the foregoing number has been principally devoted, is that from the natural…

Volume II

Published May 1788: Numbers XXXVII to LXXXV, the last eight printed here for the first time.

xxxvii
Concerning the Difficulties which the Convention must have experienced in the Formation of a proper Plan
In reviewing the defects of the existing confederation, and shewing that they cannot be supplied by a government of less energy than that…
xxxviii
The Subject continued, and the incoherence of the Objections to the Plan exposed
It is not a little remarkable that in every case reported by antient history, in which government has been established with deliberation…
xxxix
The Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles: An Objection in Respect to the Powers of the Convention, examined
The last paper having concluded the observations which were meant to introduce a candid survey of the plan of government reported by the…
xl
The same Objection further examined
The second point to be examined is, whether the convention were authorised to frame and propose this mixed constitution.
xli
General View of the Powers proposed to be vested in the Union
The constitution proposed by the convention may be considered under two general points of view. The FIRST relates to the sum or quantity of…
xlii
The same View continued
The second class of powers lodged in the general government, consists of those which regulate the intercourse with foreign nations, to wit,…
xliii
The same View continued
The fourth class comprises the following miscellaneous powers:
xliv
The same View continued and concluded
A Fifth class of provisions in favor of the federal authority, consists of the following restrictions on the authority of the several…
xlv
A further Discussion of the supposed Danger from the Powers of the Union, to the State Governments
Having shewn that no one of the powers transfered to the federal government is unnecessary or improper, the next question to be considered…
xlvi
The Subject of the last Paper resumed; with an Examination of the comparative Means of Influence of the Federal and State Governments
Resuming the subject of the last paper I proceed to enquire whether the federal government or the state governments will have the advantage…
xlvii
The Meaning of the Maxim, which requires a Separation of the Departments of Power, examined and ascertained
Having reviewed the general form of the proposed government, and the general mass of power allotted to it; I proceed to examine the…
xlviii
The same Subject continued, with a View to the Means of giving Efficacy in Practice to that Maxim
It was shewn in the last paper, that the political apothegm there examined, does not require that the legislative, executive and judiciary…
xlix
The same Subject continued with the same View
The author of the “Notes on the state of Virginia,” quoted in the last paper has subjoined to that valuable work, the draught of a…
l
The same Subject continued with the same View
It may be contended perhaps, that instead of occasional appeals to the people, which are liable to the objections urged against them,…
li
The same Subject continued with the same View, and concluded
To what expedient then shall we finally resort for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments,…
lii
Concerning the House of Representatives, with a View to the Qualifications of the Electors and elected, and the Time of Service of the Members
From the more general enquiries pursued in the four last papers, I pass on to a more particular examination of the several parts of the…
liii
The same Subject continued, with a View of the Term of Service of the Members
I SHALL here perhaps be reminded of a current observation, “that where annual elections end, tyranny begins.” If it be true, as has often…
liv
The same Subject continued with a View to the Ratio of Representation
The next view which I shall take of the house of representatives, relates to the apportionment of its members to the several states, which…
lv
The same Subject continued in Relation to the total Number of the Body
The number of which the house of representatives is to consist, forms another, and a very interesting point of view under which this branch…
lvi
The same Subject continued in Relation to the same Point
The second charge against the house of representatives is, that it will be too small to possess a due knowledge of the interests of its…
lvii
The same Subject continued in Relation to the supposed tendency of the Plan of the Convention to elevate the few above the many
The third charge against the house of representatives is, that it will be taken from that class of citizens which will have least sympathy…
lviii
The same Subject continued in Relation to the future augmentation of the Members
The remaining charge against the house of representatives which I am to examine, is grounded on a supposition that the number of members…
lix
Concerning the Regulation of Elections
The natural order of the subject leads us to consider in this place, that provision of the constitution which authorises the national…
lx
The same Subject continued
We have seen that an incontrolable power over the elections for the federal government could not, without hazard be committed to the state…
lxi
The same Subject continued and concluded
The more candid opposers of the provision respecting elections contained in the plan of the convention, when pressed in argument, will…
lxii
Concerning the Constitution of the Senate, with regard to the Qualifications of the Members, the Manner of appointing them, the Equality of Representation, the Number of the Senators and the Duration of their Appointments
Having examined the constitution of the house of representatives, and answered such of the objections against it as seemed to merit notice,…
lxiii
A further View of the Constitution of the Senate, in regard to the Duration of the Appointment of its Members
A FIFTH desideratum illustrating the utility of a senate, is the want of a due sense of national character. Without a select and stable…
lxiv
A further View of the Constitution of the Senate, in regard to the Power of making Treaties
It is a just and not a new observation, that enemies to particular persons, and opponents to particular measures, seldom confine their…
lxv
A further View of the Constitution of the Senate, in Relation to its Capacity as a Court for the Trial of Impeachments
The remaining powers which the plan of the convention allots to the senate, in a distinct capacity, are comprised in their participation…
lxvi
The same Subject continued
A REVIEW of the principal objections that have appeared against the proposed court for the trial of impeachments, will not improbably…
lxvii
Concerning the Constitution of the President: A gross Attempt to misrepresent this Part of the Plan detected
The constitution of the executive department of the proposed government claims next our attention.
lxviii
The View of the Constitution of the President continued, in Relation to the Mode of Appointment
The mode of appointment of the chief magistrate of the United States is almost the only part of the system, of any consequence, which has…
lxix
The same View continued, with a Comparison between the President and the King of Great-Britain on the one Hand, and the Governor of New-York on the other
I PROCEED now to trace the real characters of the proposed executive as they are marked out in the plan of the convention. This will serve…
lxx
The same View continued in Relation to the UNITY of the Executive, and with an Examination of the Project of an Executive Council
There is an idea, which is not without its advocates, that a vigorous executive is inconsistent with the genius of republican government.…
lxxi
The same View continued, in regard to the Duration of the Office
Duration in office has been mentioned as the second requisite to the energy of the executive authority. This has relation to two objects:…
lxxii
The same View continued in Regard to the Re-eligibility of the President
The ADMINISTRATION of government, in its largest sense, comprehends all the operations of the body politic, whether legislative, executive…
lxxiii
The same View continued, in Relation to the Provision concerning Support, and the Power of the Negative
The third ingredient towards constituting the vigour of the executive authority is an adequate provision for its support. It is evident…
lxxiv
The same View continued, in Relation to the Command of the national Forces, and the Power of pardoning
The president of the United States is to be “commander in chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the…
lxxv
The same View continued in Relation to the Power of making Treaties
The president is to have power “by and with the advice and consent of the senate, to make treaties provided two-thirds of the senators…
lxxvi
The same View continued, in Relation to the Appointment of the Officers of the Government
The president is “to nominate and by and with the advice and consent of the senate to appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and…
lxxvii
The View of the Constitution of the President concluded, with a further Consideration of the Power of Appointment, and a concise Examination of his remaining Powers
It has been mentioned as one of the advantages to be expected from the co-operation of the senate, in the business of appointments, that it…
lxxviii
A View of the Constitution of the Judicial Department, in Relation to the Tenure of good Behaviour
We proceed now to an examination of the judiciary department of the proposed government.
lxxix
A further View of the Judicial Department, in Relation to the Provisions for the Support and Responsibility of the Judges
Next to permanency in office, nothing can contribute more to the independence of the judges than a fixed provision for their support. The…
lxxx
A further View of the Judicial Department, in Relation to the Extent of its Powers
To judge with accuracy of the proper extent of the federal judicature, it will be necessary to consider in the first place what are its…
lxxxi
A further View of the Judicial Department, in Relation to the Distribution of its Authority
Let us now return to the partition of the judiciary authority between different courts, and their relations to each other.
lxxxii
A further View of the Judicial Department, in reference to some miscellaneous Questions
The erection of a new government, whatever care or wisdom may distinguish the work, cannot fail to originate questions of intricacy and…
lxxxiii
A further View of the Judicial Department, in Relation to the Trial by Jury
The objection to the plan of the convention, which has met with most success in this state, and perhaps in several of the other states, is…
lxxxiv
Concerning several miscellaneous Objections
In the course of the foregoing review of the constitution I have taken notice of, and endeavoured to answer, most of the objections which…
lxxxv
Conclusion
According to the formal division of the subject of these papers, announced in my first number, there would appear still to remain for…